By Their Saving Grace
by Distant Storm
Summary: Kai didn't know her secret. Neither did the rest of them. But they were about to find out just how his sister survived. After all, she was supposed to be dead. Apparently doctors at the abbey just don't pay attention. TyHil KaiOc
1. Not Today

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade. Figures.

_**By Their Saving Grace**_

_**Chapter One: Not Today**_

_**Distant Storm**_

_**x x x**_

A black haired young woman with blazing dark cherry highlights and shocking green eyes jumped down a flight of stairs in the compound, coming upon a row of cells with the openings rusted and nearly destroyed. A gun-like beyblade launcher was extended, with a beyblade attached and at the ready. A boy around her age followed, his launcher extended as well.

"What do you want us to do, Angel?" He asked, his reddish hair covering his eyes as he scanned the area.

"Anyone who's alive, get them out. Anyone who's on their side, well, get them aggravated." She paused. "Tala, come on, you know the drill. Let's go!"

"Yes ma'am."

Another woman, considerably younger than the first approached her. "Angel, there's some people on U-5. I need your help."

The one called Angel looked at the pewter haired young one, analyzing her pale purple eyes. "Alright, Mina, but after this, I have a mission for you."

"Okay... Now let's go get us some evil ass kicking action!"

_**x x x**_

_**Tokyo, Japan, 5:23 PM**_

He sat near the window, watching the cars whizz by and the rain hit the window of the one he was currently in. Slate colored hair came down low on his face, spiking just so, as to shield his eyes. Their pale amethyst color revealed the only emotions he cared to show, if any, though a raging fire eternally burned into their pale depths. The rest of his hair was a dark blue, slicked back. His arms were crossed over his chest, and though he was quiet, his aura screamed that he wished to be left alone.

"You're especially distant today, Kai," The navy haired boy stated, sitting just to his right. The rest of the group nodded from their seats in the back of the limo.

Kai didn't respond, keeping his eyes trained on what passed by. It was better off like this, he told himself. Yet no matter how hard he tried, the flashbacks ran through his head. The news had hit him like Dragoon pummeling Zeus to beat Brooklyn. Few things had shaken Kai Hiwitari up in his lifetime, and this was one of them. Well, he thought, what had once happened.

_"All of the physicals have been conducted. Unfortunately, some of us are just not in the... condition to move on. Mina, I'm afraid your time here with us has come to an abrupt halt."_

I had wanted her to go far, to rise above the influence of our family. Not crash and burn like she had.

_"Tell me why."_

This was not supposed to happen. She was always so strong. No one knew anything was wrong. How could it be? She was one of the best. She had become a little dark, but she had become a force to be reckoned with.

_"Mina, why don't you tell your brother why you aren't going to be here anymore?" The young girl gulped, closing her eyes as to conceal her tears. Tears had never been accepted, though it didn't really matter as she was on her way out anyway._

_"K-Kai, I-I'm sorry," she whispered. "I have cancer. They said I have six months."_

Bad things happen to good people. And it isn't fair. It wasn't fair then, and it isn't fair now.

Kai pounded his fist against the black wooden armrest of his door.

"Are you alright?" The boy on the far side of the limo questioned his captain gently, from his Indian style position on the black seats. He was the only one of the group from China, and the symbol on his clothing showed that, while black spiky hair surrounded his head, the rest of it being held back by a long white band of cloth with red ties on either end.

The Russian made no attempt, nor a motion to prove he was going to answer. He closed his eyes though, and tilted his head up toward the fabricated roof of the car.

How could I have been so blind?

_"Oh man," an orange-red haired boy had said from next to him. "That sucks." Something told Kai he would've apologized, but a word like 'sorry' would've earned a student ten lashings. All first year inhabitants learned that. Quickly._

_He didn't think, he just lashed out at the boy, causing him to double over in pain. He walked away from her, though she was sobbing at this point. That was the last time he had ever saw her._

"...Kai? Hello? Earth to quiet, dark, and insensitive, Kai, do you read me?" His eyes opened suddenly, and he looked around in a dignified matter, though on the inside, he had no idea what was going on. "We're here," Tyson continued.

"Whatever." Kai made a graceful exit out of the car, bringing up the rear of his team.

"What's eating him?" The American boy asked, at the front of the group. His blue-green eyes held compassion, and a spark of determination.

The brunette female next to him shrugged. "Kai will be Kai. Just leave him be, Maxy, you know he'll only get even more pissed if we mess with him."

Max sighed. "Yeah. I guess." He ran a hand through his blonde locks and opened the door of the B.B.A. building, feeling the tingling sensation of the cool air as it rushed out to fill the humid outdoors. The group walked past the secretary and directly to the elevator.

Tyson looked to Kai. Dickenson had asked for all of them, yet he had told Tyson this morning that what was going on pertained mostly to Kai, and not to the rest of them, but moral support might become an issue. That left Tyson with only one conclusion. It had to be something pretty darn big if Stanley Dickenson thought Kai might need moral support.

The elevator reached the fifteenth floor after a few minutes, with an electronic beep to signal that it had reached its initial destination. They walked down the hallway, passing a group of beybladers with excited expressions.

"Did we look that excited the first time we came here?" Max asked.

"Tyson still looks that happy when he sees food," Ray responded. The group, save Kai, laughed.

"I can hear you," Tyson growled. "Is it a crime to love food?"

"When it becomes an obsession, yes." Kai rolled his eyes in annoyance at the team. Today was not the day he wanted to go see Dickenson. Any other day, he'd come in this place, and hell, he'd probably listen to half of it. This day had too much significance for him to waste it here. He wanted time alone. To think...

Max knocked on the door while Hilary pushed the button on the intercom next to the mahogany door. "Mr. Dickenson, it's us. Can we come in?"

Kenny stood next to Hilary, holding his laptop. The security systems of the B.B.A. were upgraded almost every time they came to his office.

The door opened, and the group stepped inside his luxurious office. Dickenson offered them a place to sit upon the numerous couches and chairs placed inside it, as well as something to drink. Everyone declined and the chairman went to sit in his large leather chair.

"What's up, Mr. D?" Tyson asked. "You said you wanted all of us?"

"Well, yes. Mostly though, Kai, this has to do with you." The captain looked up, surprised. Apparently, the use of his name had knocked him back into reality.

"And?" The group noticed that his temper was close to its limit, yet they hadn't done anything to provoke it at all.

"I came across a young woman in my travels. Actually, she found me in the United States a few months back. At first I didn't believe her stories, but she has the birth certificate-"

Kai rapidly learned where Dickenson was going. "No. Absolutely no." Kai got up and walked rather quickly out of the room. He did not want to hear this. Nor did he want to deal with the chance for hope that she actually survived. Hopes with Kai always ended with the same acidic let-down that caused him to appear similar to an atomic bomb.

He slammed the door behind him and threw a fist into the nearest wall. "She's dead," he said to himself. He said it again a few times to make sure it was through his head.

Tyson opened the door and saw Kai standing there, his eyes closed, leaning against the wall. "We need to talk."

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

"I'm not asking for an explanation. I'm going to talk, and should you feel like you need to add something, then add it. And until you come up with something, just listen." Tyson grabbed his captain and best friend by the arm and pulled him into the elevator. Once they reached the ground level, they exited the building.

"It's raining." Kai looked at Tyson.

"You sure as hell aren't sugar. You'll be fine." Tyson turned to the right and walked down the already soaked pavement, pulling his hat down lower to keep his face dry.

"Whatever."

"Oh don't be such an asshole. He thought you would be happy that he found your sister. I mean after all, the guy has supported us for a long time and-"

"She's dead."

"Excuse me?" Tyson stopped walking and looked to Kai. "Rewind and freeze."

"She was at the abbey for a few years... and... they diagnosed her with cancer."

"What?"

"Don't make me repeat it." Kai closed his eyes tilted his head back toward the threatening sky, that seemed to be shaking a fist at him. "Today is the anniversary of the last time I saw her."

"This was probably the worst day you could possibly hear this, heh?" Kai didn't respond and Tyson took it as a yes. "We didn't see her. She's around here somewhere, but apparently she's got a mind of her own."

"Hn."

"You can't run away from your past forever, Kai," Tyson said. "One of these times, it's going to swallow you, and you'll never come back to the light."

Kai looked up at him in shock. In a strange way, he had made sense. Maybe that was why they were best friends. Tyson sat down at a bench in the park after a few minutes of walking in silence. It was a little wet, but the rain had stopped.

"Why do you care anyway?"

"It's kind of the whole friend thing. You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not." Tyson leaned back and extended both his arms skyward to stretch.

"Aren't I lucky?" He mused aloud.

"Yeah, yeah you are," Tyson responded.

"Uhh, I'm sorry to bug you," A feminine voice interrupted. "I'm kind of new to the city, and I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the B.B.A. building?"

"Yeah, if you follow the side walk here," Tyson motioned, pointing straight ahead from the bench with his index finger, "turn left once you hit the street, and it's on your right. Are you one of the new-" The navy haired champion lifted his head up to meet the girl's eyes. "Holy beyblade!"

_**x x x**_

"So, Mr. D, why would Kai be so touchy about this?" Daichi asked, sitting like a monkey on one of the chairman's couches. "I would be happy if you found my sister."

"Too bad you don't have one," Max said. The group chuckled.

"You know what I meant!" The younger one responded, yelling.

"I guess he's lived without her so long, he probably figured she was dead."

"That makes sense. Kai dealt with most of his past already," Ray commented. "He probably decided to move past what has already happened, and accept the worst." The White Tiger paused. "Though, he has seemed especially messed up today. He didn't even make fun of Tyson when he nearly choked on a steak."

"It's barely dinnertime," Dickenson said. "How did he- oh never mind. It's Tyson."

"Exactly," Kenny responded. The entire group looked to Hilary, who had yet to say a word. She looked up at them and shrugged.

"I don't know too much about Kai," she admitted. "I just decided to leave him alone, he looks like crud enough today, without any of us messing with him." Hilary paused, brushing back a strand of her brunette hair. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell us though, about this, or anything else?"

"Well, do you guys know the story about his sister?" The group shook their heads and the chairman nodded, flipping up his computer screen from the compact position it had been in. "Her name is Mina Hiwitari. She used to be at the abbey when she was little, but around age seven, she was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told her six months-" The entire group winced, realizing that Kai had once again dealt with much more hardship than they'd probably care to understand, " so of course she had been kicked out of the abbey, and after that, well, I have no idea. She probably found a foster family or something. I haven't gotten that far." He scratched the back of his head. "I saw the birth certificate and kind of forgot about the rest of her background check."

"Are you sure it's authentic?"

"Positive. I've seen Kai's birth certificate, remember? Hers was similar. Besides, they both look a lot alike." The group nodded.

"Does the abbey have any kind of records, just out of curiosity?" Hilary asked. "None of us know very much about Kai, or the abbey, and maybe you could look both he and his sister up."

"I know there's a website," Kenny responded to the young woman. "But it's really hard to access the files, since there's a ton of firewalls. I've been working on it for a while now, but it's kind of hard, because Kai always knows what's going on, whether you tell him or not."

The rest of the group, Dickenson included, nodded in agreement. "It always does seem that he knows what is going on."

"Well, when so much that you built yourself up on are lies, and the people who you knew to be family only used you to gain power, you don't tend to just go with the flow," Max said.

"Yeah," Ray continued. "Kai always has to know what is going on. There's always a chance that someone from his past could come waltzing back into his life, asking to be let in..."

_**x x x**_

_**Moscow, Russia, 12:32 PM**_

An aggravated Tala walked through a doorway to the back room of the building. "Where is Mina?" He called, to the woman in the room that opened up in front of him.

"She's in Japan."

"You sent her on a mission?" Tala asked the girl who answered him. His eyes showed a bit of jealousy. "I told you I was up for anything."

"I need you here," She said, sitting sideways so that her legs were hanging off the edge of an oversized chair, hidden behind a desk.

"Why?"

"So many questions. Won't you just admit you're concerned, or at least jealous?"

"Angel, she's still just a girl!"

"And when you were her age, you were in the finals of the World Championships. She's fifteen. She can handle herself. And it isn't like I gave her a hard task." Angel picked up the glass from the desk and took a deliberate, slow sip.

"You're obviously stressed. You don't usually drink until after dark," He recalled.

"It's a margarita. Little tequila, not too much. Want one?" She asked.

"Are you going to try and get me drunk, like last time?"

A delicate, rare smile graced her lips. "No," she said, with the remnants of a laugh. "And all I did was give you a strawberry daiquiri. You ordered for yourself after that."

"Anyway," He said, clearly avoiding the subject, "I'll take one."

"Alright," She said, pulling out a second glass, and dipping the rim in water, then a bowl of salt, and finally mixing the drink. She haded it to him and offered him a seat, which he gladly took. "I sent Mina to go see her brother-"

"The last thing Mina needs to do is get caught up with the Bladebreakers, or G Revolutions, or whatever the hell they're calling themselves now," he responded.

"Kai thinks she's dead."

"And? It's probably better that he does, so Voltaire won't come after her too!" He took a swig of the beverage, calming down considerably as the alcohol sent a tingle down his throat as he swallowed.

"I'm glad we both care about her, but you're forgetting. I trained that little Hiwitari to beyblade almost exactly like me. She'll be absolutely fine, and Kai will protect her as well. His entire team will too."

"You better hope he recognizes her."

"He will," she said. "Do you not see the resemblance?" She took a sip of her margarita, and spun the drink around on the desk so that a salted rim was closest to her mouth for her next sip.

"Yeah. But what are we supposed to do while she's gone? I mean, she probably won't be coming back-"

"There's trouble on the horizon," Angel commented. "The darkness is far from gone, and we both know it."

Tala took a hearty swig of his drink, so that he had less than she did. "And we're going to have to stop it."

"Well, that would be the whole reason I organized this little group thing."

"Yeah, and every other beyblade association recognizes us as 'The Russian Moffia,'" The red head scoffed.

"Let them. We know our motives are pure, and I'm pretty sure that it would be all that counts." She hammered the rest of the margarita and went to mix another one.

"How many of those have you had today?"

"Just one, it'll be two pretty soon."

"So what exactly is the stress?"

"Remember when Mina got kicked out of the abbey?" Tala nodded, and suddenly, something clicked and his eyes grew wide with shock.

"Oh," he said, in a whisper.

"Yeah," Angel said, standing up and turning to the large windows that extended from floor to ceiling. "What if she tells him what _really_ happened?"

_**x x x**_

_**please review!**_

_**x3 Distant Storm**_


	2. The Russian Maffia

Note: apparently someone has been in my files, because it is seven am here where I am, and I was planning on finishing this chapter up, but when i clicked on the file, all I got was a blank flipping page. I am NOT happy. So I will start with the rewrite, and hopefully it will be just as good.

Disclaimer: the entire point of writing fanfiction is? well, if you don't know that, then sure, go ahead, i so totally own beyblade. Right? WRONG!

_**By Their Saving Grace**_

_**Chapter Two: The Russian Maffia**_

_**Distant Storm**_

_**x x x**_

_Last Time:_

_"Uhh, I'm sorry to bug you," A feminine voice interrupted. "I'm kind of new to the city, and I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the B.B.A. building?"_

_"Yeah, if you follow the side walk here," Tyson motioned, pointing straight ahead from the bench with his index finger, "turn left once you hit the street, and it's on your right. Are you one of the new-" The navy haired champion lifted his head up to meet the girl's eyes. "Holy beyblade!"_

_**x x x**_

The young woman quickly flitted away from the two boys, knowing she had been recognized. In reality, she knew exactly where the B.B.A. Headquarters were located, but she had wanted to catch a glimpse of the one she had been sent to find. Yeah, she thought. That was her brother. He looked much better than he did on tv, but she could tell today was not his day. Then again, this was the day when she had completely 'ruined' his life with her 'illness.' Someday, she figured, he'd understand what was happening. Of course, he'd probably consider her an enemy long before she got to tell him. But that was life.

Kai looked at Tyson, who was mumbling under his breath."... freaking look alike..."

The pewter haired champion got up from where he sat and looked down at Tyson like he was a dog. "Do you want me to find out for you, before you suspect every girl in the city looking for the B.B.A. Building my sister?"

"If you wouldn't mind," Tyson said, with a faint, possibly fatal laugh. Kai hadn't looked at the woman, but her hair color did resemble that of her sister's.

So, knowing that there was only one way to determine her identity, he said one of many words he had left in his past.

"Mina."

The word seemed to echo through empty space and stopped time. It sent out a wave of energy to Kai, and the young woman, whose back was turned. She seemed to slow down a bit, but not too much. She said nothing, and Kai turned to Tyson.

"See? You were wrong. Now you get to do extra running when we train later." Tyson smiled nervously. Running was not his strong point.

"What did you say?" The young woman said, turning around.

"It didn't have anything to do with you," Tyson huffed. "Just something that Mr. Insensitive over here decided that I get to do extra running at practice-"

"No." She said, taking a step towards them. "Before that." Kai and Tyson looked at each other in confusion. She continued, looking directly at Kai.

Amethyst met amethyst.

"I could have sworn that you just said my name."

_**x x x**_

Kai literally dragged the girl into the chairman's office, anger gripping his features. "_You_," he bellowed, pointing an accusing finger at Mr. Dickenson. "_Why didn't you tell me-_"

"I'm sorry," the chairman stated, in fear. Kai had never appeared this angry before. The other members of his team seemed to be cowering on the far side of the room. Tyson walked in cooly behind Kai and the young woman.

"Calm down," Tyson said, relaxing on a nearby sofa and turning on the television. Mr. Dickenson watched the blue haired champion in shock. Here he was, the guy who paid for all their escapades and their tournaments, cowering in fear before the captain of the team he created, while Kai's usual punching bag just threw himself on one of _his_ most expensive pieces of furniture, flipping through channels? What the hell was going on here? "I don't think he was finished."

Mina popped out from behind Kai. "Go ahead," she told him. "And try not to be so damn frightening, alright big brother?"

Dickenson looked up at Kai, noticing that he suddenly changed attitudes completely. "Well, I was going to act like I was going to kill you-" The others laughed nervously, coming out from their hiding places, "but since Mina here ruined my whole little act, thank you." The chairman blinked, and Kai extended a hand. "Thank you for reuniting me with my little sister."

_**x x x**_

_**One Week Later: Rome, Italy**_

"Hey Tala."

"Hey what?"

"It wasn't a question, I was just starting a conversation."

"Well then 'hey' yourself." He paused. "You seem like you're in an exceptionally good mood, Angel."

She shrugged. "So it seems. We're about to go deal some damage to our favorite person, and I've got two years to go," she stated calmly.

"You're free?"

"It's been three years, brother," she responded. Tala, in an out of character moment, hugged her tightly. "Although I might suffocate before I hit four," she whispered, out of breath.

The red head let go. "Sorry," he stated. "I'm really happy for you," he said.

"I can tell." She looked around. "I can't believe that they forgave him," she seethed. "Now we have to take out the headquarters of the people who are supposed to be on our side."

"Ah well, it's kind of an inside job, considering where you sent Mina," he replied. "Kai's not going to be thrilled."

"We're technically doing it for his own good." She paused. "Besides, the point of the free world is that it's free. Not under the control of Voltaire and Biovolt."

"Well, since Boris did do most of the punishing, I guess it's only right that he learns what became of his dearest soldiers... I mean, beybladers."

"Well, you'd think that after we infiltrated the Moscow B.B.A. Headquarters and found his old underground he'd get the message. We shook the place up enough. He doesn't deserve, nor should he be allowed, on God's green earth, to teach children to beyblade. What the hell was Dickenson thinking when he hired the scum?"

"I don't know."

"Ah well, since they transferred him to Rome, we might as well have a little fun. Maybe recruit some help?"

"And why should we help you?"Tala turned around in the direction of the voice.

"Robert."

"Valkov."

"How sweet, I'd hate to break up your love fest, but what are you planning to do in my Roma?" Enrique asked, standing proudly, though no woman in the warehouse was even a bit concerned with his appearance. The four beybladers stared at the woman's back, which was covered by a veil of her long hair.

"I wondered if you would like to help us," She said, her back still turned to them. She turned, revealing her all back attire which clung to her curves, with black boots that rose up almost to her knees."I'd rather be the last generation of monster, what about you, Tala?" She knew, though she wasn't looking at him at that moment, he was nodding in agreement. That was the reason she had gotten this group together. There was to be no more.

"What are you talking about?" Johnny demanded.

"Chill out," Angel stated, taking up her margarita from the desk behind her. "Apparently Boris Balkov is working at the B.B.A. headquarters in 'your Roma,' Enrique. And as the some of the top kids from his previous training experiences," she let her words hang for a moment and took a sip of the tequila induced beverage, "I thought you might like to help us clear out his little project before he can corrupt the masses of children in your fair city that love to beyblade."

Robert's eyes narrowed. "He's here, in this city?"

"Why do you think I took twenty of the top beybladers that I had and got us here? It wasn't for my health."

"You want to level the B.B.A. headquarters here?"

"They didn't get the message in Moscow," Tala stated. "We don't particularly want to go destroy buildings and get ourselves a bad reputation, but the guy is up to something. Voltaire has gone back into hiding, and where Boris goes seems to have a tendancy to be cities that he used to have a great influence over. We don't need a war," he continued. "It just won't be good."

"We always knew that Boris was a bad guy, but can you be sure he still is? I mean, I know it sounds weird, but it's been a few years. Maybe he has finally changed.

Angel shook her head. She grabbed the zipper on the front of her shirt and pulled it down, revealing a small amount of skin. "As much as I hate to be revealing," she said, annoyance fusing with her features at the look Enrique gave her, and Johnny's drooling, "I don't think you can possess a child to do something like this-" She opened the shirt up a bit, showing a set of three jagged lines that slashed directly down from the top of her breasts to just below her belly button,"-And change for the better." She zipped the top back up. "Besides, we found about five underground levels with kids in there, that were either from the original abbey's last year, or new recruits that were trained underground after hours. He hasn't stopped harassing the youth of the world, and I think we should show him that his time is done."

Oliver, the only one who wasn't entirely entranced by the view the young woman had bestowed upon them, nodded. "I think I can speak for my team when we say that we'd be more than happy to help."

_**x x x**_

_**Tokyo, Japan**_

"I still can not believe it," Kai stated plainly.

"Well you ought to get used to it," Mina replied, sitting next to him. "I'm the only family you actually like."

Dickenson smiled. He was pleasantly surprised at how well Kai and Mina were getting along. It was like she had opened up a part of him that was previously dead to the world. He'd smiled more in the week than he probably had in years.

"Who says that I like you?" He questioned.

"Oh be nice," Tyson chided. Kai rolled his eyes. The blue haired champion turned to Mina. "That's just his way of saying he likes you."

"I'd have to agree," Ray said, lounging on a nearby chair.

The desk phone began ringing and the chairman quickly picked it up. "Yes Lana?" He asked, referring to the secretary. He quickly hung up the phone and pressed a button on the nearby remote control, thus triggering the television. "Boys, Hilary, Mina, there's something you have to see. Someone is trying to take out the B.B.A. again."

"Who?" Kai asked, annoyed. The last thing they all needed was someone else bent on power.

"I don't know what exactly they call themselves, but they have earned a name."

"What would that be?" Mina asked, though she knew the answer.

"The Russian Maffia."

Mina pretended to be in just as much shock as everyone else. She had been sent on a mission to find her brother. After that, she could choose, and she knew what side she was on. Anyone who hired Boris Balkov needed to seriously rethink their actions. After all, she knew that her brother and his team were the good guys.

But sometimes, you don't always know that you're fighting for a good reason, on the wrong side.

_"Last night, eye witnesses report that a squad of about twenty five beybladers broke into Rome's B.B.A. Headquarters and pretty much leveled the place." A shot displayed fire and rubble from the large three story compound that now looked to be about two and a half stories. "According to the accounts, the best European team on the planet was seen among these beybladers. The Majestics. The Russian champions, the Demolition Boys, were seen as well among this group, however, Tala Valkov is not, contrary to theories, the leader." _

_A picture of the two teams flashed across the screen before it changed back to the rubble and fire department, which was still trying to put out the blazes. "About a week ago, there was another event, though much less serious that, occurred in Moscow, Russia, involving what the police believe to be the same group, however more beybladers. No bit beasts were stolen during either of the events, but there is no telling what kind of mayhem will follow. I am Mishika Atvanu, coming to you live from Rome, for your evening report. Stay tuned."_

The chairman turned off the television, sighing. "I just transferred some of the beybladers from the Moscow center to Rome. They're probably scared out of their minds right now."

Kai's mind was imprinted with the images of the fire and the rubble. "No ordinary beybladers could do that," he stated, standing up and leaving the room.

"Just what is he suggesting?" Hilary suggested.

"Think of the two teams he mentioned. The Demolition Boys?"

"Only the most ruthless beybladers in the world could do damage like that," Mina said coldly. "I happen to know a lot of them trained in the same way."

"Who?" Daichi asked, obviously clueless. Max hit him on the arm.

"He's lucky he wasn't with us that year. He would've probably been slaughtered by Tala." Mina laughed.

"What?" she questioned, when everyone was looking at her. "I was raised in the same place as both Kai and Tala, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Ray said, remembering. "You must have a guardian angel." She nodded her head.

"You have no idea how true that statement is."

_**x x x**_

Kai dialed his cell phone angrily. "Yes?" Kai grunted in rage. One of these days, he planned on wiping that smirk he knew the red headed Russian was wearing right off his face, then wrap duct tape all the way around so he didn't have to listen to that cheeky-ass voice.

"Don't be a smart ass with me, Tala," the captain growled. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm training," Tala replied, seriously.

"For what? The next time you decide to take down a B.B.A. building?"

"Maybe I wouldn't have to if your damned chairman didn't decide to hire certain shady characters responsible for corrupting our lives."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kai demanded, pounding a fist into the wall again.

"Balkov. Dickenson hired Boris to work for the B.B.A. How fucking stupid could you get?"

Though Kai knew that doing something like that was a stupid, psychotic idea, he brushed it off for the time being. "The hell you talk about the man who found my sister like that."

"Yeah, yeah, tell her I said hello. And just so we're clear, it doesn't matter what the hell his reasons are. Dickenson shouldn't trust Balkov. You don't want to know what we found in Russia," Tala stated.

"Try me."

"I don't think I should. You still don't remember most of your past, and the last thing we need is for you to start having seizures." Kai winced at that thought. Tala was right on that part. He didn't remember too much of his past besides Mina, Tala, and the Demolition Boys. The faces were always blurry, and the voices were always distorted. So yes, Tala did have a point. He remembered them, and as far as he was concerned, that as all he wanted to remember.

"You're going to get yourself killed Tala," Kai said darkly. "And if you threaten anything that I care about, you know I won't hesitate to do it."

"Why did you call me, Kai? You know I'm not changing sides. At least this time I have all the facts."

"Really? So you decided you're going to take down the B.B.A. because of it?"

"If that's what stops Balkov, yes. That man should not teach children to beyblade. We've killed people, Kai. Not physically, but almost. We have, however destroyed them from the inside. And he was the one who taught us to do it."

"Dickenson has his reasons."

"Did you not remember what I said before? This conversation is pointless, Hiwitari." Tala paused, sighing. "People who we thought were dead, Kai, people have cheated the odds. They've seen what happens after the Abbey. They've gotten worse punishments from your grandfather than you could have ever dreamed of. And they've lived. That is why they're here training. We're on the right side for a change. And we plan to keep it that way. You don't remember what happened to a lot of them," Tala stated, breathing heavy. These things were hard to talk about. How he had suddenly resorted to spilling his guts, he'd never know. He cared about Kai, and about Mina, so he tried to persuade the older of the two, knowing where Mina's stance was, whether Kai liked it or not. "Think about it, Kai. Wherever Balkov is, Voltaire is not far behind. We're against him and all who side with him."

"If Stanley Dickenson says he's changed, then I believe him."

"Suit yourself." Kai heard the slamming of the phone against something, and the line went dead.

"How productive."

_**x x x**_

_**Moscow, Russia; 9:24 pm**_

"I need a drink."

"That won't solve all your problems, Tala," she said quietly, watching the last of twilight fade into a black darkness outside.

"How would you know?" He walked over past her desk and stood next to her large chair, watching the darkening world with her. "He doesn't understand."

"Can you blame him?" Angel looked at him from the side. "He doesn't remember," she said softly, standing up. "He doesn't know what punishments we used to get and he would be spared from because he was Voltaire's heir, and we were just ordinary tools of destruction."

Tala grabbed her wrist before she walked away. "Stay here."

"I thought you'd like to be alone."

"I've been alone long enough," he stated, sitting in her chair. "And so have you." she nodded, sitting on his lap. Compared to Tala, she was pretty short, only standing at about five foot five, as compared to Tala and Kai's height of five foot seven.

"You're right," she whispered.

That was the thing about Abbey kids. They had power, and they had their bottled up emotions. But they lacked one very, very important element. They needed love. From family, friends, and more than friends. They formed families out of the people they had bonded with in that hell. That was why she called Tala 'brother.'

Angel was the leader of the group, but Tala was her go-to person. She couldn't remember the number of times she'd cried herself to sleep in his arms when they'd found each other, a few years ago. She'd never forget the tears that had fallen from his eyes, the only ones she'd ever seen him cry, when she told him her story of blood, tears, wounds that would never heal, and death that just wouldn't come.

That was how he knew her. Angel had a purpose. There was a reason she wasn't dead yet, why she had survived through things that could've killed her a hundred times over. Someone up there had a mission for her, and she was more than willing to make sure it was carried out.

"Tomorrow's another day," he said calmly, looking down at her. "The light will always conquer the dark."

"The Rising."

_**x x x**_

Well, if I didn't have other plans, I'd pair Tala and Angel up right now. Anyway... that would be the second chapter. And just so you know, if you don't understand the last part, you will eventually. It has something to do with the plot. Anyone who wants to guess, I could tell you if you get it right.

Please Review, and as always, thanks for reading!

x3 Distant Storm


	3. Make You Hate Me

Disclaimer. Ah, the only stable thing in my life that never changes. Hooray for the things I'll never own!

Notes: First of all, I had an entirely anti-me moment, saying that Hong Kong was in Japan. Sorry about that. Anywho, I'm trying to make my chapters longer, my friend Stephy(Ileftmybraininmylocker) has these uber long chapters, and i'm hoping to be able to do something that is at least ten pages long from here on in... Hope you like!

_**By Their Saving Grace**_

_**Chapter Three: Make You Hate Me**_

_**Distant Storm**_

_**x x x**_

_**Tokyo, Japan: 5:36 PM**_

Kai could not believe what the chairman was telling him. Two days ago, he had had a discussion with Tala, about the hiring of Boris Balkov. And then, when he asked the chairman afterwards, he said that the Russian was telling the truth. Now though, this was the kicker.

"So, you see, Boris is going to be arriving here in two days, on Friday, to help out the trainees here in Tokyo."

Tyson's fists were tightly clenched. "What?" Ray and Max seemed just as pissed off as the other two, while Daichi was just a little messed up, not entirely aware of how bad the situation was. Mina, on the otherhand had her beyblade in her hands, gripping it tightly.

"I don't think you should send him here," The younger Hiwitari stated firmly. "I don't think any of us likes him," she pressed.

"I don't think that's your decision to make," Kai said. "If Dickenson says he's coming, then that is final."

"Whoa, wait a second," Tyson said, turning to look at his snowy haired captain, who although he wasn't thrilled, he just dealt with it.

"I have my reasons Tyson. At least now we can keep an eye on him," The Chairman stated. Kai grunted and turned away from the others, about to walk out again.

Mina threw a fist down on the man's desk, catching everyone's attention. "If you send him here, the Russian Maffia, or whatever will show up. Do you want that?"

"Honestly, then we'll be able to keep tabs on them too," Ray stated, realization dawning upon him. "That might be a good idea, Mr. D."

"That's why I brought him here. There are plenty of good beybladers here in town, and besides," He rubbed his chin in thought, "You guys should be able to take down any of them."

"Yeah!" Tyson affirmed. "We'll take out the bad guys!"

Hiro rolled his eyes. That was his little brother, always rushing head on into things. Mina still looked enraged. "Kai, I can't believe you're actually going to let him do this. If I was you-"

"You aren't me, Mina. You might be my sister, but Dickenson has always looked out for my best interests, so you have to trust me enough to know that if I say that he's trustworthy, than anyone who works for him must be the same. Believe me, I'm not too thrilled about this either."

"Just so you know," The younger girl stated, pushing past the others and in front of Kai, who was in the doorway, "Tala isn't the leader of 'The Russian Maffia.'"

"Then there's nothing to worry about. Who could be worse than Tala leading a group of people like that?" Max asked. Kai shrugged, agreeing with the blonde.

Mina stormed quietly from the room, taking off down the stairs, as opposed to the elevators. "Now this does become an inside job. The second he's all set up, he's going down." She dialed her cell phone and waited for it to ring. "I'm sure some information for Angel will make her _thrilled_." The viciousness in her voice made it barely recognizable.

_**x x x**_

_**Moscow, Russia: 3:45 PM**_

"We have a problem," Tala said, standing at the top of the second story of the room, which was like a balcony overlooking the main area of the building. The door behind him was Angel's office, which she was currently in, having just dealt with a 'situation.'

"Like what?" Spencer asked, from below. He and the other Demolition Boys stood waiting impatiently for the news.

"Balkov is going to the Japanese B.B.A. headquarters. And guess who else is there?"

"You mean the Bladebreakers let him come?"

"What the hell is wrong with them?"

"Come on!"

The room erupted in a loud fit of complaints about the Bladebreakers being backstabbers and betraying beyblading all together. Eventually, Angel exited her office, clad in what one would describe a training outfit, which was highly unusual for her. A black sports bra on top and a pair of loose red pants, with her hair pulled up into a messy ponytail. Had she not had three lines going down her perfectly toned torso, she would've looked much like a break-dancer, not a beyblader.

"Would you all shut it?" She yelled, and a silence swept over the group. "We're going to have to train hard, because we're leaving tomorrow night. Balkov is expected in Japan in two days, and we're going to be waiting for him." Murmurs died down in the crowd. Angel had never trained any of them. So far, every opponent they fought was one they could handle.

"Do you think we can't take the Bladebreakers?" Bryan asked her, his temer beginning to shine through.

"You and Stroblitz lost to Ray and his Drigger. You are not one who should even be talking right now. I want you guys to practice up. I will be informing you tomorrow who is going with Tala and I."

"What about Mina?" A trainee asked.

"She's already with the Bladebreakers. Setting things up, and getting to know her brother." Angel walked down the stairs leading to the main floor. "Get into groups of ten." There were about fifty kids total here, and she nodded once they had been divided. "Bryan, Tala, Spencer, and Ian, I want you each to take a group and go to the back room and train them for some tough battles. "The rest of you are with me." She took the group of the highest talented beybladers and set them up around a large beydish.

"Battle Royal?" One of them asked.

"Yes Alexander," Angel said, taking a place at the edge of the dish as well. "Battle Royal. Three, two, one-"

"Let it rip!"

_**x x x**_

_**Friday, Tokyo, Japan: 7:58 PM**_

He took a long drag on his cigarette, until it was gone and he crushed the butt under his foot. Afterwards, he followed the older man into the building.

"When you get to the elevator, press E-2, and go down to the downstairs lobby. E-3 and E-4 are the training floors, and E-5 is a storage room, which is pretty much empty. Your office is on E-2."

"Great," The man said, cheerfully, which was usually out of his character. "I'll be set up in less than forty-eight hours."

"That's just what we like to hear," A voice said darkly from the far side of the ground floor lobby. "Exactly what we like to hear."

_**x x x**_

_**Sunday, Tokyo, Japan: 9:34 PM**_

"Are you sure you want this?"

"Very much so." Angel closed her eyes. "Thank you Riku, I appreciate the fact that you told me that he was ready. How many of them there are on our side?"

"With Mina, or without?"

"Whatever your preference," Tala said, stalking into the room. "Mine's a margarita."

"You're going to be addicted to those things."

"I'm thirsty."

"Hang on, Riku." She went to her refridgerator and pulled out a bottle, pouring it into a cup. "Here Tala."

"Thanks... HEY! This is only water."

"You said you were thirsty." Angel smirked at him a smile beginning to play at her lips. "I need you to be on your best behavior, and completely sober. I might need you to help me with Kai."

Tala stiffened. "He's going to have a panic attack when he sees you."

"I know. And I refuse to take it easy on him. I don't care what he is now. He let Balkov come. I won't let him forget what that man has done. To us all."

Angel closed her eyes and leaned back against the plush leather chair. Pressing her hand to her temples, she massaged them gently. Tala took a step closer to her. "Riku, how many are on our side?"

"Over there, we have about twenty-five on our side," He said in quiet Russian. "Out of two hundred resident beybladers, not including the world champions."

"Thank you," Tala said courteously. "You can go."

"Alright."

"Thank you," Angel commented gently. "I appreciate it."

Riku nodded, noting the semi-uncharacteristic behavior of the two teen leaders of the entire ordeal. He walked outside, closing the door behind him with a soft click. Behind him, he heard another click-ish sound, most likely the lock.

Tala locked the door carefully, and stepped over to Angel. "You're a mess," he commented, blandly, but a slight quirk of emotion, concern perhaps, fluttered in his eyes. For someone trained to be heartless, he now allowed a bit more emotion to show through. Boris was going to pay. For driving them all apart.

For killing them all from the inside out.

"I know," Angel said, looking up at the Demolition Boy. "I can't help it."

"No," Tala whispered, pulling her up from the chair. "That's not just the reason. The initial one-" His lips came immaculately close to hers, her eyes focusing on him, surprisingly clear, while her breathing was ragged. He lifted his head up and pressed his lips to her forehead. "The intital reason still stands."

"What the hell happened to innocence?" She asked him, in more of a whimper than anything else.

"That's why we're here. To save them-" He motioned out the window at the children on the street, beyblading. "-From becoming what we have."

"Tala-" He looked down at her, catching the look in her ghostly eyes. She looked at him. "Hold me." He obliged, wrapping his arms around her, and allowing her to rest her head in the crook in his neck. He felt something cold against his skin, and realized that she was whimpering like a five year old.

He smiled at her. "You're such a kid at heart, you know that?" It was meant as a simple joke, and it was said with a warm tone, but deep down, he knew it was the truth. She had never gotten to live her childhood out, and now, it escaped in her rare moments of vulnerability.

"I am a monster."

"No. Don't you ever call yourself that." He lifted her head, a hand held under her chin. She bit her lip. "Angel."

"I know."

"Miss Asmerov," A voice called, knocking on the door to the locked room. Angel jumped away from Tala, wiping the few stray tears from her face. The Russian boy opened the door, unlocking it first.

Tala was handed a telephone. "Yes?" He asked, switching over to Japanese.

_"We're ready to get started. He's good and set up."_

Tala looked over to Angel. He could see the storm brewing in her eyes. Other than that, there was nothing left to prove she had just neared the stage of mental breakdown. She clenched both fists, pretty much sensing the nature of the call.

"Good. I'll have Angel-"

"Tonight. After midnight."

"Are you-"

"Positive." Her voice was steady. Tala hung up the phone a moment later.

"The Abbey has scarred us all. Kai Hiwitari doesn't even remember you."

"He will." The maliciously seductive smile placed on her lips seemed completely contradictory to what she had said moments before.

"You are a contradiction to yourself," He pointed out.

"I know." She ran a hand through her hair. "And I like it that way."

_**x x x**_

_**Monday, Tokyo, Japan: 1:23 AM**_

"Mmnn... Tyson, shut it!" Kai yelled, in a groggy stupor. Something was making a noise that disturbed his sleep. And he didn't like it.

Ray groaned and rolled over. He then sat up to look at his captain from across the room. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he was a bit alert. "That wasn't Tyson," Ray mumbled quietly.

Like lightning, the Russian was sitting upright, amethyst eyes wide and alert. Both he and the Chinese boy dressed quickly.

"Oh shit." Kai looked around, noting that everyone else was still asleep.

"Should we wake them?" Ray asked.

"Not until we figure out if we're just paranoid."

"Us? Paranoid?" Kai didn't find Ray's comment at all funny. Perhaps Kai had been trying to lighten the mood himself...

They slipped open the dojo door, Ray standing behind it, and Kai holding out Dranzer like a cop would a gun, at his defense.

"If I was planning on killing you, you'd be dead already."

Kai froze, immediately masking his emotions as a new light came over Tyson's backyard. Ray caught Kai's glance for a moment and knew exactly what had to be done.

"You've never been one to give a warning, Tala," Kai yelled. The sound that had woken him up must have been the boy landing on the roof, or something, Kai figured, not quite up to conjuring ideas at this hour. The light, he noted, shielding his eyes, came from a spotlight, and a low rumble supported his theory of a helicoptor's usage.

"Well, you're in for hell. I thought you should be given a chance to stand down. Either you and your team mates get rid of Balkov, or me and my _friends_," Tala put as much emphasis on this word as he dared, "will tear you to shreds right along with him. Kapeesh?"

"He's given us no reason to fault him. Dickenson trusts him-"

"Dickenson is a fool, if he trusts Balkov. As you and your team mates are."

"Do you think we're going to let you take us out without a fight?" Ray asked. His team mates had begun to race around the room, collecting their belongings and preparing for a fight. Daichi stuck a head out the door and shook a fist threateningly. Apparently Tala was in too good a mood, instead of getting annoyed, he laughed.

"Of course not," Tala said with a condescending smirk. "We wouldn't wish it any other way."

Tyson spit at the ground in disgust. "_You_ like to destroy things, don't you? _You _put this little charade together, didn't you?" He wrung his hands in an attempt to postpone the eruption of his temper.

"No." Tala looked at Tyson, a serious, dead serious look plastered on his face. "I don't want to do this, Tyson. As your rival, and as what I thought you would consider a friend, no. I am doing this so people don't end up like him." Tala's arm was extended, along with his pointer finger, at Kai.

"What the hell do you mean?" Max ordered. "Kai is just fine."

"If you mean he doesn't remember anything about where he came from other than his sister, fine, then yes." Tala paused, catching Mina's glance from the back of the room. A dark smirk came over both their faces, though only Tala's complexion was being watched. "That man is partially responsible for erasing all of your memories. You say they aren't supressed anymore? BAH. That is a lie. You don't remember the hell that was the Abbey. No." Tala stroked his chin in thought. "If you did, you wouldn't be on this side."

Kai was surprised. No one knew how much he remembered, except himself. And while Tala's commentary was true, telling him things wouldn't make him automatically remember. "Unfortunately," Kai sneered impatiently, "You'd need a visual to do that."

"It can be arranged." Tala's arm extended upward, and a ladder was lowered down for him. "Anyway, are you going to do it, or are we?"

"You aren't going to do anything," Kai growled darkly. "And so help me, if you try-"

"Just watch me." Tala paused. "Beware of your allies," He sneered. He clutched the rope ladder and began to climb skyward. "They just might surprise you." Halfway up the ladder, he turned and looked down. "And by the way. You have an hour. If he isn't gone, then we'll make it that way."

_**x x x**_

"That went... rather well," Angel said with a smirk. "Rather well."

Tala leaned back as the chopper surged with more power than it had before, rising up into the air. "I'd have to agree."

"It's going to be a long night," Robert stated, from next to them. "I'm game."

"I thought you would be." Angel laughed, a sound that sounded so innocent, so pure, unlike the actions she was going to have to carry out. Inside her mind she reminded herself that her motives were pure.

"I can't believe you let them stay," Tala remarked, looking at the Western European.

"Robert and the Majestics support our cause. And besides, we aren't really the Russian Maffia anyway, when you think about it. We have some European teams as well."

"I know," Bryan responded hotly, for someone who was so cold. Tala nudged him.

"Save your attitude for people who aren't on our side. There's plenty of 'em."

Robert nodded from across from Tala, sitting next to Bryan, while the Russian captain was next to the leader of the operation, Angel. "We're outnumbered," She breathed in an airy tone. Suddenly, it seemed to solidify. "That'll be fun." She clenched her fists and drew out her beyblade.

"Looks like Angel isn't the only one who wants to play," Bryan said, with a smirk. Angel's hand tightened around her beyblade. It was black with three jagged lines running down it. The beast in the center was a raging creature, birdlike, much like a phoenix. It was entirely black, with a crown of red feathers on its head. All in all, it appeared pretty nasty, but anyone who had seen the creature knew it was merely protective on levels that were unparallel to others. It shared the piercing jade eyes of its mistress as well.

"Taiydra is at her witts end," Angel said softly. "I think we all are."

"I declare a vacation when this is over with," Tala said.

"If possible, perhaps. How'd Mina look?"

"Great." There was a renewed spark in the Russian's eyes.

"Good. Her antics tonight won't go unrewarded. None of yours will." She paused, her eyes focusing on something they couldn't see. "That's a promise."

_**x x x**_

Kai nearly grabbed his sister at the throat. "I want you to stay here," He said carefully. "I don't know what the hell they plan on doing-"

"I'm coming." She brushed past her brother easily, breaking free of his grasp. "I don't care what you say."

Tyson stood in the doorway, clicking his tongue against his teeth, and earning himself a glare from Kai, who was about ready to drill a hole in someone's head. Tala had been toying with him.

"Could you get lost?"

"I'm on your side, and Dickenson is about ready to bomb the place himself so one one else can." The navy haired intruder smiled at both of them. "You're both alike. Quiet, but stubborn to boot. Unlike me. I'm just loud."

"Thank you captain obvious," Mina asserted, brushing past Tyson as well. "I have a beyblade to go upgrade."

"We're leaving in twenty minutes," Tyson told the captain. "I thought you should know that."

Kai nodded, and Tyson turned his back to Kai, about to leave the room. "Wait."

Tyson looked surprised at first, but he blinked the emotion away, as well as his attitude. If Kai called him back, it was probably important.

"Look after Mina for me," Kai stated. "I'm going to find out who's in charge, once and for all."

"Alright," Tyson said, not bothering to argue. It was much too early in the morning, although Tyson had just downed three sandwiches and was pretty energized. Everyone else was chugging either coffee or energy drinks. He thought, for a change, about what he was about to say. "Kai, is Tala right? Do you not remember everything?"

Kai sighed and leaned against the wall, and for a moment Tyson could have sworn that he looked like a normal teenager. Then he regained his composure and spoke. "I don't know everything. I know what I need to know. About my sister, Tala, the Demolition Boys. Everything I think I'd _want_ to remember. Other than that, no."

Tyson nodded. "Do you think he's serious?" There was a pause in which Kai looked at the champion with a question on his features. "About the visual?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out."

Tyson grabbed him by the wrist before he could leave the room. "Promise me that if you get yourself into trouble you won't go down alone. At least let us know."

"I'll be fine, Tyson."

"I don't care. What I said about the darkness-"

"The darkness is within me, Tyson, I know. I won't let it swallow me." He flashed a rare smile his friend's way, and then proceeded to leave the room, replacing his smile with a determined smirk.

Hilary entered the room to hear Tyson's next statement.

"I'm not sure you'll be able to make that choice."

_**x x x**_

_**B.B.A. Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan: 2:14 AM**_

There was a group of about three hundred beybladers present. Mr. Dickenson was no longer playing around; he had called in every beyblader within a fifty mile radius to show up. Most were dressed in their battle attire, ready for a good fight, though Dickenson had no idea what to expect. So, doing the only thing he knew how, the chairman turned to someone who did know what was going on. And this man was the one who the group wanted anyway.

"This Russian Maffia," Boris said, with great distain, "Is a collaboration of people who dislike me. Those of you who have been with me since I began working with the B.B.A. in Moscow know that I am not bent into my old ways anymore. They still do not see it, and destroy everything in their path, believing that it will get me to back down."

'Boo'ing rang out through the large room, as beybladers' grips tightened on their crafts.

"I know I have made my share of mistakes, but Stanley Dickenson has seen past that, and I know you all do as well. I am her for you, to help you learn how to beyblade. To show you the true challenges that await anyone who takes a launcher into their hands. Beyblade wars are wars that I never wish to see fought again. I have made enough of them happen-" He closed his eyes, "- to last me an eternity of lifetimes."

Mina stood toward the back, as per her brother's request. Her eyes narrowed on Balkov, and he hadn't noticed her. He probably didn't even know she was alive. She snapped her fingers and smirked. Too bad. He'd just about piss his pants when she was through reintroducing herself.

A boy from behind her whispered something to his friend. They were both a year older than Mina.

"I'm just about ready, Ruri, are you?"

"Let's beat his ass into the ground." There was a pause. "I wonder if Angel is going to come for us tonight..."

"She will," Mina whispered curtly. They both looked at her, and blinked. "Angel is about ready to beat the shit out of him herself. However," Mina twisted a strand of hair between her fingers, "She probably needs to take care of my brother first. He has no idea."

The two boys looked at her, immediately recognizing her and nodding, smirks on their faces. When she looked forward again, she saw her brother standing there, with his team mates, at Balkov's side. She grimaced and gave Kai an 'are you sure about this?' look. He nodded fiercely, determination sparking at the corner of his eyes, and a smile of evil that made her cringe.

"Is he serious about standing on Balkov's side?" The one called Ruri asked. Mina nodded.

"I'm pissed about that too. But Angel will straighten this out. He just needs a wake up call."

_**x x x**_

_I am soooooooooooo sorry about the long wait for the update, for anyone who was reading this. I just finished summer school, and hopefully i passed that exam so i won't have to take it again. I'm had to take a global exam and i didn't even learn half the material yet. i hope i did okay, but whatever._

_There's your update, I hope you like it, and next chapter will be very vicious. i was hoping on making it this one, but next one will be worse. Much worse... Mwahahahahaha! Coughs... anyway, um, the title Make You Hate Me was supposed to be about Angel and Kai, but it turned out to be a bit more Tala and Kai. So, yeah. GO FOR THE PURPLE BUTTON ON THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE! DOOOOOO IT!_

_Please Review!_

_Distant Storm x3_


	4. Face To Face

_Disclaimer: Yep, I don't own beyblade. Okay, glad that's been said._

_Erm... so, this is chapter four. Well now, I guess that I should get typing. This one might seem a little out there, and Kai might be a little OOC. This chapter is going to be a bit traumatic for the guy. Don't worry, it's all for a reason, I promise. It would have to be though, wouldn't it?_

_By Their Saving Grace_

_Chapter Four: Face to Face_

_Distant Storm_

_**x x x**_

Sitting in Dickenson's office, the group fidgeted with miscellaneous items, trying not to allow themselves to be over run by the insanity of waiting. Trying being key. Every movement that was unexpected resulted in the aim of launchers.

"You'd think we were waiting to go into battle," Tyson said, trying to ease the mood.

Kai grunted. "We are. Remember, these kids are from the Abbey, dipstick. That's all they know."

Mina's eyes were closed, and of the group, she was the calmest, even moreso than her brother. Personally, she figured he was itching for a battle against Tala. "Not all of them. Look at us," she reminded.

"For the most part then," Tyson said, so Kai didn't blow up at his sister. He could tell by the captain's shortness of breath that they were waiting for this to happen. Hilary sat by Dickenson, going through papers, while Kenny kept trying to get into the Biovolt database. He kept getting caught by the same passwords.

Dickenson turned to the computer whiz, watching him struggle for a moment before speaking. "If we could find out who the leader is-"

"We could get a warrant and get rid of them, right?" Hilary interrupted. The chairman nodded.

"Come on then, Kenny," Ray chided, nudging Max, who was trying to stay awake. Coffee just didn't have the same effect it used to on the boy.

"I'm working on it," The Chief said impatiently. He too was getting frustrated by the wait, and especially the fact that he couldn't get the darned password.

Kai's cell phone rang unexpectedly. He grabbed it from off his left leg and answered it, barking viciously into the phone.

"What do _you_ want Tala?" Everyone backed away in fear at the sound of Kai's voice. Daichi clung to Hilary's leg, fearful of the Russian.

The response wasn't what he expected. Not to mention that it was in Russian. "_This isn't Tala._" The phone slipped from his hand to the floor, and the caller hung up.

"Kai, dude, are you okay?" Tyson bravely made his way over to Kai and looked him in the eye. A tinge of fear rose in the corners of them. "Who was that?"

"I- I don't know." Kai paused, regaining his cool. "I've heard the voice, but I don't remember who it was." He looked to Mina who shook her head.

She knew who it was alright, but there was no way in hell she was going to tell him.

A knock at the door caused another round of hostilities, especially with the phone call. Had there even been any real point to it? To one person it was a warning sign. Ten, fifteen more minutes to go.

Max went to the door, shoved up by Ray, who figured activity would wake the boy up. He looked through the peep hole, and against his instincts, opened the door.

"Hello Boris," Dickenson stated, tiredly. He yawned, noticing the color drained from the older Russian's face. "What's wrong?"

"Did any of you receive a phone call from Tala?" He asked, voice heavy with insomnia.

"I've seen him," Kai stated, in a bored tone. "Then someone called on his phone, but it wasn't him."

"Alright." Boris nodded. "I received a phone call from a young woman. Someone I know to be dead."

Mina shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, because everyone who left The Abbey was supposed to be killed," she pointed out. "There's plenty of possibilities."

"Sure there are," Boris said. "This voice though, I can't put my finger on it, but it sounds familiar." He smiled at Mina. "I am glad that you're doing well."

Mina rolled her eyes, and leaned over to her brother, resting her head on his shoulder. She thought about what was about to happen. She knew where these things would lead, and she didn't honestly think that it would be too fun. They were in the chairman's basement office. Everyone knew to come downstairs, that was where Boris would be. However, Dickenson and Balkov hadn't thought of it being like that, figuring that they would come up to the board rooms and other such places for info. It was horrible really, they didn't prepare well.

Kai looked down at her, and affection leaked through his eyes so she could see. "Are you okay?" He asked her quietly. She smiled and looked up at him.

She knew what she was going to have to do to him, and the smile was a bit fake on her part, though it came out sincere. "You know I love you, right?"

"Of course," He stated back, wrapping his arms around her. "Why would you ask that?"

"I just don't want you to forget it, okay?"

"I won't," he said, hugging her a bit tighter. He hadn't heard her say that to him in forever, and it was a shock, but maybe she was just afraid about what was to come.

A low roar, shouts, and the sound of glass shattering filled the air. "Oh shit," Tyson said quietly, drawing out his beyblade and launcher. "Something tells me this is what we were waiting for."

"That's impossible," Boris stated, a bit concerned. "There were seventy five beybladers out there when I came in. Their force wouldn't have taken those kids out."

Mina smiled. "Were all of them on our side?"

"What do you mean?"

"This could be an inside job." The teens all rushed out the door, with the exception of Hilary and Kenny. Boris had told them that he didn't know the passwords for the Biovolt mainframe, and every one believed him, so Kenny kept trying to break the code.

Hilary looked at the two older men, both pale, and looking quite jarred. "Don't worry, the guys will take care of this. Kai's got a problem with Tala, and whoever else that was on the phone." She eyed Balkov carefully. "You have no idea who the hell that was?"

"No."

Kenny sighed. "Damned password." Boris smirked, but quickly covered it. They had been rather sneaky with that mainframe. No normal password would work.

_**x x x**_

Angel wrung her hands for about the twentieth time that hour. She was getting anxious, very, very fast. It nearly killed her to watch the masses of beybladers she had collected go out and battle. If it wasn't such a serious matter, she'd be right alongside them, but her mission was simple. Tala was to find Boris and Dickenson and outline just what they would do if things weren't stopped, and the Majestics were meant to keep the G Revolutions busy. Meanwhile, she was to get Mina, and see about her favorite slate haired captain.

And of course, anyone who got in her way got creamed.

_"...We're ready, Angel, we've got the outside taken care of, and most of the bladers are upstairs. We sent them to block the elevators and stairs, so not too many people will be around down in the basement. The elevators are locked on the roof until you punch in the key code_."

"Riku, as always," she said into the communicator. "Now then," She turned to Tala and the Majestics."We need to do this as efficiently as humanly possible. Don't take names, just total beybladers and worry about it later." Pausing, she thought for a moment before adding the next part. "And if you see Kai, guide him along toward me. Mina and I have some business to take care of with him."

"May I ask-"

"No, Robert, don't ask questions about that. I'm just going to see an old friend." Angel ran a hand through her hair and pulled out her beyblade. She was just about ready to get this over with. "Now then, since we all know what we're doing, get your asses out there! Tala, you and I will go last."

"Yes ma'am!"

Jumping out of the landed helicopter, which was on the roof of the building, they all approached the elevator. The Majestics would go down and when they got to the lobby, they'd send the elevator back up to the roof. Tala looked toward Angel with a wry smile and the young woman threw a walkie talkie at him.

"Call her. She's on channel four."

Tala nodded and adjusted the frequency. His eyes narrowed and he realized that he'd give away her cover, so he handed it back. Angel shrugged. "Okay, don't. She's going to be back on our side in a few minutes anyway." Musing over the thought, she continued. "And maybe, just maybe, she'll let you hug her, and Kai will get really mad."

"Then you'll show up."

"Well, we'll see how things play out. I highly doubt it will be that simple. We're still outnumbered." A beep behind them indicated that the elevator had come back up to the roof. She pushed a button on her walkie talkie. "Everything good down there, Enrique?"

"_Fine_," Came his reply, through the speaker. "_The G Revs are down here, so we've got 'em. I think Kai's waiting for Tala._"

"Well, who am I to disappoint?" Tala asked, and the two got into the elevator.

_**x x x**_

"Dragoon!"

"Draciel!"

"Drigger!"

"Strata Dragoon!"

"ATTACK!" The four Magestics' beyblades surged into those of their opponents, who gritted their teeth and worked even harder.

"Want some help?" A cheeky voice echoed behind them. Robert turned and nodded to the three beybladers behind him.

"Spencer, Bryan, Ian... thanks."

"Let it rip!"

"That's cheating!"

"We never said we were doing this regulation style, boys," Bryan stated icily. "We're playing to win."

Tyson smirked. "And you guys can't do it fairly, one-on-one?" He shrugged. "Fine. We'll take you all down."

"It's not that simple Tyson," Robert said, his accent noted. "We can't lose here, for all our sakes, and yours, whether you believe it or not."

"You're trying to tell me that you're the good guys?" Max said, jumping into the conversation. He didn't look convinced, not one bit.

A darker voice joined the others, as the elevator behind the Majestics opened, revealing two figures. "Yeah, yeah we are."

"Tala."

"Hello, Kai. Where's your sister on this lovely morning?"

"You aren't going to touch her. I'll kill you first."

Tala sneered. "I'd like to see you try."

The person next to him, shielded by a hooded cloak, nudged him. "_Stick to the mission_," she said commandingly.

"Who is this," Kai said, viciously, "Your leader?" When Tala raised his eyebrows, Kai let out a laugh. "That's great. A little girl is challenging the B.B.A. That's great."

_"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you."_ All eyes turned to the girl who was still speaking in Russian. She looked at him, though he couldn't see her face. A shiver went down Kai's spine, whether he admitted it or not. There was something about her...

At that point in time, Boris came charging into the room, as well as Kenny and Hilary. They were out of breath, and Boris looked fearful of the group assembled against him. Two top level teams were facing against the champions, who were losing. This wasn't good.

"Look what we have here," Tala said. "A spine-less worm."

"_More like a cockroach. He keeps coming back."_

"Doesn't she speak Japanese?" Kai asked. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the voice was the same as before, on the phone, and he wasn't liking that she seemed familiar.

"Maybe she doesn't want to talk to you," Johnny intervened hotly. "Not like I'd blame her," he said, glaring at Kai.

"Enough," Tala said. "Boris, if I was you, I'd get out of here. And stay out of beyblading." Glares from both his team mates and the Majestics followed.

A moment later, stomping was heard, rushing down the flight of stairs in the corner. More than seventy beybladers stood at the ready, beyblades out and facing Tyson and his team mates or Boris and Dickenson, who had poked his head out of the doorway that Boris was located in. Basically, they had the bases covered.

"W-why are you all so upset about Boris joining up with the B.B.A.?" Dickenson asked, fear apparent in his wavering voice. "He has done nothing to prove himself evil."

Enrique shook his head, but Ian spoke. "You weren't there in Russia, old man. You weren't there when we found the underground chambers in the Moscow complex."

"Those were shut down years ago," Dickenson said. "I watched them patch it up. There is no way anyone could get down there."

"I know where the secret entrance is," Bryan said next. "Our leader-" He cast a look over to the cloaked girl "-and I were on a walk when we found it."

"What, is she too good to have her name said in front of us?" Daichi asked, angered. "Don't bow down and worship her while we're around, or we might have to rip you to shreds."

"_Withdraw your beyblades."_ The G Revolutions took this as a retreat and went on the attack.

"Stop!" Dickenson yelled. "She said to withdraw. That would make you no better than them." The four boys recalled their blades as well.

She looked to Tala and nodded. "Alright," The red head said, calmly, "I want the A squad to hold the exits. B squad, I need you all to make sure we have as little retaliation from the upstairs as humanly possible. I'm sure that the rest of the B.B.A. beybladers will be coming in a few from the upstairs."

"I've notified the police," Dickenson stated. "I have a call button under my-"

"I've disabled all the communications devices. Except for our communicators, of course," A brunette stated, coming up behind Tala. "No one will be getting calls incoming, or outgoing."

"Thank you," Tala responded, and the two squads left, leaving only Tala and the cloaked girl with the G Revolutions and the two elder men. The Majestics were used as the front of B Squad.

A perilous silence followed this departure of beybladers. "Now then, down to business. I suppose we'll let you listen, it isn't like you won't find out anyway." Tala motioned for the group to go into Dickenson's office. Once there, they all sat down, except the cloaked girl, who was located in the doorway. Mina stood on the other side of the doorway, watching her every move.

"What are your terms then, boy," Dickenson said, obviously angered. He could be a harsh businessman if he had to be. No one was going to take down the B.B.A.

"I want him gone," The Russian said, motioning to Boris.

"I don't think so," Tyson said, defending the stiff old man. "I think that since this is our place, and you're outnumbered six to two, you are in no place to be making demands."

With a flick of his wrist, Tala drew out one of the communicators. "I want the Majestics back down here. Now."

Kai rolled his eyes, not feeling very threatened. "So what? You aren't going to win, Tala, we've got reinforcements to last us longer than your group will."

"Let me tell you something, Hiwatari. This man here, Boris Balkov, will never change. He took your memories away, locking them with a two word code, which, is also the password to the Biovolt mainframe."

"He doesn't know what it is, they changed it." Kenny said, already annoyed beyond the point of which he knew he could take.

"That's enough." Robert, Johnny, Enrique, and Oliver stood outside the door, looking threatening. Suddenly, a whooping sound was heard from upstairs, and the sound of beyblades clashing became available to all ears. "I tell you, Tala, I come here as a changed man. I have tried to black out the horrible things I have done to you and all others in your position in the past. Don't think that I am not sorry. I live in regret for all the things I have done, and I wish I could take them all back."

"Liar."

All eyes turned to the corner of the room, where Mina was, still leaning cooly against the doorway.

"Excuse me?" Kai asked.

"I said, 'liar.'" Everyone was surprised to hear the previously silent, and Russian speaking girl say the words in a perfect Japanese dialect. Mina smirked, then hid it. She'd almost given herself away with that little slip up there. "That man will never change."

"How come you aren't calling the shots then, if you're the almighty leader?" Ray asked. "You speak this language."

"I don't want to cause too much damage, and besides, this is already against the plan. I was planning on getting your captain to myself for a few moments to discuss a previous incident." Kai moved a bit, to get up.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, man," Max said, more awake than before. "They aren't exactly playing fair." The rest of the gang nodded.

"You went to the Abbey, didn't you, girl?" Boris' gaze was even and unwavering, ready for action.

"Not too many girls went through there, but yes, I was one of them." She turned her back to the group of beybladers and exited the room, Mina following her.

"Hold up, sis," Kai said, grabbing her by the arm as a means to catch up to her. They both followed her out the door, leaving behind grumbles of how stubborn said captain was.

However, as she turned, a glimmer of silver around her neck caught Boris's eye, the charm of her necklace being like a mirror, reflecting something a white hot, almost pinkish color against her pale skin. No doubt it was a scar. Where had he seen it before?

"...you see, I don't really think you should trust him."

"And you have a reason?"

Boris's eyes widened in a grim moment of realization. "Kai, don't look at her!"

Everyone's head snapped in his direction, Tala's as well. "And why not?" Kai asked, anger reaching his features. "You make it sound like you are what this girl says when you say things like that."

Angel smiled. "I'm glad someone caught on, but you see, it's too little, too late." Her voice had an angry edge to it. She had to be unbearably cruel to get him to figure it out.

"Kai, if there's one thing you do listen to me about, it should be this. Do not look at her. She is not someone you ever want to see, because her past is something you took a part in. She's the reason why you left the abbey."

Kai however, wasn't listening. With Mina closer to the door, he felt almost alone in the room with this woman, whose face and features he couldn't see. Something inside him told him to be afraid of her, and he edged back about half a foot.

She took off her cloak a moment later, adjusting her shirt to rise up a bit higher. She had bright, vivid green eyes, black raven hair, with cherry red streaks throughout. Her skin was pale, a display of her heritage.

The group rushed into the room where they were, Boris gasping loud enough to capture their attention, while Tala made his way over to someone by the door.

"What was that all about?" Dickenson asked the Russian man.

"You- you're alive?" Boris edged back until he was against the wall, terror paralyzing him against it.

"Surprising, isn't it?" She said, turning around in a full circle. "I knew you'd recognize me." She then turned herself back to Kai, who was standing back five feet, directly across from her. "But do you?"

"No." Kai's monotone and the hazy look in his amethyst grey eyes seemed to flicker for a moment before returning to their icy stature.

She paused, thinking for a moment, her jade eyes gazing into his. "You're afraid of me, and you don't know why, aren't you?"

Ray raised a fist threateningly. "What kind of sick game is this?"

"This is no game." She took a step toward Kai, and he took one back. "Hmm, it would seem you are afraid. Good. You should be."

"And why is that?" Kai asked. His body was reacting like it was afraid, but his mind still had no reason to shut down into the panic mode that most human beings would associate his actions with. "I have no idea who the hell you are."

Tala chuckled, but everyone tuned him out.

"I know things about you, Hiwatari," she said, her voice lower, in a near whisper. "Things that would break you, and every wall you have apart."

"I am not afraid of my past, or you."

"Really?"

"Do you remember my name?"

"I don't know who you are."

She nodded. "Of course." Turning her back to him, she pulled at the black shirt she was wearing, pulling it over her head, so that she was wearing something styled like a racer back sports bra, though there were also two other straps hanging out beneath it.

Kai couldn't help but look at her. He was, after all, still a hormonal teenage boy. Her back muscles flexed as she threw the shirt to the ground. "Kai, you can't look at her," Boris said, panic apparent, "I don't know what it would do to you."

"What could it be, Boris? Laser eyes?" Angel had to admit, his spunk was entertaining, but it would all become deadly serious in a matter of moments.

"More like every single memory you can't recall coming back to you at once," Tala said. Kai glanced at him and growled, noting the shortening distance between the redhead and his sister.

"You stay away from Mina," he warned.

Tyson quickly went at Tala, but he merely sidestepped the enraged blunette. Mina pulled Tala to her side, which caught everyone's attention.

"Uhh... Mina, I think you just blew your cover."

They looked around at the curious stares and glares earned by the boys, and the smirk on Angel's face.

"No. You think?"

"You're on his side?" Kai's voice was quieter. What was the deal with family his family and betrayal? "Why would you betray me too?"

Mina's eyes glimmered in sadness, while Angel looked at her cautiously. "It is your decision, Mina. You can stay, we won't stop you."

She shook her head, a tear falling down her face. "I- I won't side with them if _he_ is what they are defending." Tala pulled a comforting arm around her, and she leaned her head down upon his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Kai's team mates were shocked nearly senseless.

But that would have to wait, because in the instant Kai's eyes returned to the female leader of their enemies, she whipped around, glaring at him, directly in the eye. Kai let out a horrified gasp, and fell onto the ground in a rather un-Kai-like fashion. She advanced toward him again, and he crawled back with his hands.

_Those scars._

"Do you know who I am now?"

He shook his head, but bit his lip. After a moment, he got back up to his feet, rather shakily, but he was eye level with her again none the less.

She turned away from him, toward his team mates, Tala, and his sister. The two adults both looked pale, and Kenny had his laptop in his hands, most likely recording the entire ordeal.

"Hey Kenny," Angel said, mischievously, "I know that password for you."

"You _what_?"

Boris turned a shade of color usually associated with a corpse.

Mina buried her head in Tala's shoulders. She really didn't want to see what was going to follow.

"Yeah..." Tala said with a sigh. Angel knew it alright. She turned her attention toward Kai.

"This is your last chance. Do you know my name?"

Kai shook his head, though a splitting headache had begun to occur in his head. He hadn't experienced this kind of pain in a long time. Not since he first came back from the Abbey, he recalled. But this time, this time he could see Black Dranzer clearer than usual. It was so vivid... it was something he didn't want to see.

_They're horrible._

"No, I don't. I've told you this already."

Tala's grip on Mina increased, and she pressed her face into his shoulder. She didn't want to see this. It was going to be horrible. Absolutely horrible.

"Please, I beg of you," Boris pleaded. "Don't tell him."

"It won't kill him. It'll make him think."

"Kenny, you sure you want it?"

He nodded, nervously.

"Get everyone out of the upstairs, boys. I believe I'm alright on my own."

They nodded as well, though Tala and Mina lingered, waiting. Tala was staying because Mina wanted to make sure that her brother didn't die. He knew she was petrified, and this was something that he just did. After all, she was pretty much the only family other than Angel he possessed.

"How could you know the password? Voltaire's probably changed it a million times-"

"Angel." Kai looked at her, confusion clouding his features.

Kenny tried it on his laptop. "Angel? What kind of stupid password is that? Or a name?"

She smiled sadistically, like she had been possessed by some kind of demon. "It wasn't right." He looked at her dully. "You shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"You need the last name too, asshole," Tala said. Mina tightened her grip on the red headed captain.

Her attention was no longer on the rest of the group. Her green eyes flickered with a bright, hauntingly dangerous intensity.

"Angel Asmerov."

Kenny looked shocked. "I'm... in."

"No." Everyone looked to Kai, whose eyes were wider than they had ever seen. He kept repeating it over and over. Mina whimpered, Tala bit his lip, and Angel stood there, watching him intently with her piercing eyes no longer focused on his own. No need to scare him too much just yet. The laptop slipped from Kenny's hands, landing with a deafening crash upon the cold tile floor. The screen went black.

In defense of Kai's awkward behavior, every single memory, both good and bad, mostly bad, were running through his head, in chronological order, up until the day he had left, the memory he had definitely been avoiding among all others.

"Kai, snap out of it!" Tyson yelled. He turned and looked at Angel. "What did you do to him?"

Boris was floored. "How are you still alive? You were dying when he used it on you!"

At that particular moment, in direct correspondence with Boris's words, that final memory dawned upon him. And it seemed to last forever...

_"Please, please don't make me! He's my friend, I won't fight him!"_

_"I don't care, you'll do as you're told." He heard a sound. A slap, echoing throughout the hallway and into the training room, or the D-Room, as it was commonly called. Not too many people left the D-Room, his mind reminded him._

_"Please!" He heard sobbing, and from deep in his mind, the word 'weak' was associated with this action. "Kai, please, don't make me, please! I'm begging you."_

_"Let's go, Angel. I'm not in the mood for your idiotic attempt to get out of this. Let's just go."_

_She whipped around and looked at him, her hair a rich, midnight color, almost too deep dark to be black. "Please," She begged._

_"Enough!" His voice roared louder than even he had expected, but he liked it. He liked the power. He held out his beyblade, black and shiny for her to see. "Let's go, your time here is over."_

_The battle began with a speed unrivaled by anyone, as far as he could tell. This was not something he was used to. It wasn't like him, it was fast paced, and it wasn't like he was in control. He felt... like the blade was controlling him. He hated feeling controlled, but the more it happened, the less he cared. He wanted to beat her, and that was overpowering him. Eventually the darkness gave him a choice: join or be destroyed. He had joined, giving himself up, mind and body to the power._

_"You don't stand a chance against me, girl." His voice was low, maniacal, vicious. She whimpered, already bleeding, but more than blood flowed from her wounds. She stood, despite the temptation of falling to her knees.._

_"Why won't you listen? You don't have to fight me! Please!" She looked to Boris, and Kai remembered that look. That look of complete joy. He was happy._

_He was enjoying this._

_But in a way, so was Kai. He commanded the beast in his bit with perfect control and ability. "Black Dranzer."_

_A deafening shriek was emitted into the air and the beast came out, looking at him as if waiting for orders._

_"Get the girl."_

"Kai? Are you okay?" Max's voice cut through the memories, sending him back to reality. But it wasn't soon enough.

"Kai? Answer us, blink, something!" Ray yelled. He was standing there, immobilized, paralyzed, he wasn't sure what.

"_Kai._"

When she said his name, he snapped to attention, meeting her eyes. He was the vision of complete terror. Beyond terror, at this point.

"N-No. S-st-stay away from me."

"What?"

His team mates, and Dickenson stared at him, completely disturbed.

Angel took a step toward him and he repeated the same thing, shaking openly. His eyes revealed every single emotion he was feeling.

Putting it simply, he was an open book.

But there was more that had to be done.

"Kai, I don't want to hurt you." She took another step toward him.

"Leave me alone!" In a quick motion of self defense, he whipped out his beyblade. She had advanced so that she was almost less than a foot in front of him.

"You wouldn't," She stated darkly.

He aimed the launcher straight ahead, directly at her, his eyes dancing with fear. "I would," he said, trying to sound tough.

She reached out a hand, like a reflex, and in a lightning fast movement, she had slapped both his launcher and Dranzer onto the cold floor. It was so silent in that room that the echo seemed to last for hours. Kai whimpered and fell back onto the ground, backing himself up again.

But there was only so far he could go until he hit the wall.

When he did, Angel lowed herself down to eye level. "Kai."

He looked away from her, still shaking. Tears had begun pouring down his face, and the sight of such a pathetic scene really made his team mates want to cry.

Kai had always been their strength. And now, where was it? It was gone. He was reduced to nothing.

Who was 'The Great Kai Hiwatari' now?

"Look at me," She said, gently. He shook his head, still looking away from her. She reached out, but he inhaled, and pretty much refused to breathe. She withdrew her hand, which hadn't even touched his face, and he turned his head hesitantly, looking at her.

Sorrow. There was so much sorrow in her eyes. Still, no matter what they reflected, he knew the truth.

She was just like the rest. She was going to hurt him.

"No, please. _Please don't make me_." In his haste, he had reverted back to Russian. That shocked them even more.

Why was he so scared?

Mr. Dickenson turned around and looked at a still floored Boris. "Who is this girl?"

"She- She's supposed to be dead," Boris said, completely shocked. "The things we've done to her..."

"_Kai, I promise you. I won't hurt you._" She looked into his eyes again. "_Do you know who did this?"_ She motioned to her torso and the clearly visible lines that stretched from the top of her chest to her stomach.

They clouded over. "I-I don't know." She reached out a hand and he gasped again. "_Please, don't touch me_."

"_I'm sorry, please, I don't want to hurt you. You have to remember. You can't let it be held over you._"

She stood up and he did the same, facing her, his fear still present. She extended a hand this time, and just barely traced the outline of his face. He whimpered again.

"No, please, Angel, please, not you too..."

_He felt like he was outside his body, watching the battle occur, every detail magnified. He heard screaming. It wasn't his. He then heard the most God-awful sound the world had ever been faced with. Talons..._

_Talons on flesh._

_There was blood. So much blood. He was screaming too now. It was everywhere. He was back in his body now, and it had taken him a complete two seconds to throw the beyblade as hard and as far away as possible, launcher too. "What have I done?" He asked, crying out to no one in particular._

_"...It...it's okay, K-Kai, I don't... blame you."_

_  
He look over toward the opposite side of the beystadium, toward the blood covered girl on the ground. She pushed herself up, faltering some, but eventually got shakily to her feet. Two guards came forth, but she first dived toward her beyblade, grasping it for dear life._

_"I did this," He whispered. It all hit him at that moment._

He screamed as loud as possible. "I won't!" He yelled. "I won't let them control me!" Angel took a step forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

Her voice softened again. "_You aren't, they've got nothing on you anymore. You know now. It's going to be okay, I promise. You need to figure things out though. No one can do it for you. Who you let in is up to you, but you shouldn't have to hide everything from them._"

"I did this to you," he whispered. She let go of him and nodded. "How could I?"

"_I don't blame you._"

He fell to his knees before her, no longer holding back his sobs and cries of agony and despair. Angel, if there were tears in her eyes, said nothing, and turned to his friends.

"He needs you all now more than ever. Perhaps someday we can really settle this. Tala, Mina, let's go."

"You just unlocked all his memories and you're going to leave?"

Mina nodded. "We aren't the ones who can help him. We all have our own demons to face. He has his friends, and we have ours." She stopped, looking straight to Boris. "Let me tell you, if you come anywhere near us, don't think we aren't going to fight back. Stay the hell out of our sports and stay the hell away from my brother."

Angel nodded. "I'm sure he remembers how you laughed. You enjoyed watching him tear me to shreds."

Boris's face screwed up into one of horror as she picked up Dranzer. Kai stared off into space, leaving them to wonder if he was drowning in the faces of his past.

"Hey! That's not yours!"

Angel bent down before Kai, and pressed the beyblade into his hands.

"Tomorrow's another day. The light will always conquer the dark. The Rising."

With that, she gave him a quick kiss to his left temple, stood up, grabbed her shirt and robe, and headed toward the door, never once looking back.

Mina knelt down before her brother, wiping away a stray tear. "We can't help you this time. But I love you, and I don't ever want you to forget it, okay?" She kissed his forehead, and turned away from him, following both Tala and Angel. She stopped once and looked to his team mates, his friends. "Angel's right. He really needs your help. You're the only ones who can."

_**x x x**_

_And... wow! Holy long chapter. Glad that part's over. Leave me a review telling me if it was cheesy or somewhat good... XD_

_Please Review!!!_

_x3 Distant Storm_


	5. Matching Faces To Names

**Disclaimer:** I don't own beyblade. All I own are my oc's and the plot line

I know last chapter was a bit confusing, and Kai was all tweaked out and shit, but that shall be explained soon enough. Just go along with it for now and you'll understand later. It won't last too much longer, 'cause that's just not Kai.

_By Their Saving Grace_

_Chapter Five: Matching Faces To Names_

_Distant Storm_

_**x x x**_

Kai stood before the window, watching the rain plummet down to earth. Each drop was cold and bittersweet, like the sky was mourning with him. It scared him. He felt exposed, scared, like the ten year old boy who became such a monster. Dranzer remained clutched in his hand. Sometimes his friends would ask if it ever left his hand. It had been over a week, and he hadn't beybladed once. The phoenix would sometimes protect him in his dreams, they'd notice. He'd have an eerie flame resting over his profile, Dranzer's own shield. His monsters were only in his mind. Angel hadn't bothered to send out her 'minions,' as the rest of the group called them, to anywhere else.

'I am a monster.'

"Kai?"

No answer.

"Kai?"

He closed his eyes, thinking it was only in his head. A hand came in contact with his shoulder. Hilary, he recognized. It was the touch of someone who was overly concerned.

'I deserve no pity.'

He didn't bother answer, as it was useless. The last time he had tried it, it hadn't worked the way he had wanted, and he had ended up sobbing into Tyson.

"Come on, you can't stare at the rain all day. Let's get something to eat."

"Yeah," Max's sweet innocent voice echoed in the background. "You haven't eaten anything in days."

That was common knowledge. He hadn't eaten anything that hadn't been literally forced down his throat by Tyson or Ray since he had seen Angel. And that was almost a week ago. Sure, he felt weak, but he deserved it. The Abbey always taught it's members to punish themselves so the punishments they'd receive for not being perfect wouldn't be as bad.

"I'm fine," He said in a vicious tone. Well, that had worked better.

"Kai, come on. Just eat something. A granola bar, egg roll, cookie, something. Just so we know you won't waste away."

"No."

Hilary snorted. "Would you quit being so stubborn?"

He said nothing, his attention back on the window, back into his own world.

The brunette bit her lip, and her friends came forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. He'll eat when he's ready."

'How could she make my sister leave?'

He felt the newly familiar sensation of moisture at the corners of his eyes. Mina had chosen Angel over her brother. How could she? Why? They were with Dickenson, therefore they were on the right side. But how did they know the password to the Biovolt Mainframe? And since when did Mina cling to Tala?

Most importantly, how did she live this long? They said she'd die in less than six months when she was younger, and now, she looks fine. How did she cheat?

_**x x x**_

Bryan tightened his grip upon the girl. Tala had been so concerned with Mina that his concerns for Angel had fallen by the wayside. Angel hadn't felt upset over this, she wasn't concerned with herself either. She was concerned for the younger Hiwatari, whom she knew had made the right decision, but at a high cost.

"Come on, you need something to do other than this," The snowy haired Russian insisted, grabbing her arm. "You've been dwelling on this for too long."

The girl's jade green eyes rested upon him. She nodded, and for once, an eerie look settled in them. She was more moved than Mina.

Tala had been told the story of how she had lived past the Abbey, but he hadn't told anyone. He had no idea how she'd done it. Bryan was concerned, curious, he wanted to know. Maybe she needed to tell someone else. So that they also knew what was such a secret that even Kai didn't know.

"You want my history," Angel whispered, taking his hand, as they left the complex. Bryan didn't bother with responses. She knew. She always seemed to know.

A gentle snow was falling, as the temperature had plummeted suddenly. It was as if her emotions controlled the winter wonderland before her. It seemed to be about as pure as her soul in this light. She wasn't evil. Her actions made her seem this way, but she was doing it for them. For Kai, and the world. For people she didn't know. For people who didn't like her for helping them out. It wasn't fair to her, but she still did it.

"What has Tala told you?" She asked, quietly.

He shrugged. "Nothing about you. Just said that Mina was never that bad off. Apparently she had it pretty good. I still don't know how she cheated God though, with that cancer thing."

Angel nodded thoughtfully. "Why don't I start at square one, with Mina and all?"

He nodded, saying nothing and waiting for her to begin.

_**x x x**_

_**Two Weeks Later**_

Kenny brought the computer into the living room of the Granger Dojo. He sighed and sat down next to Ray and Tyson, who both looked up at him. Kenny nodded to them, though Ray was the first to speak. "You fix that computer, Chief?"

Kenny nodded, his face bright and happy. "Yeah." Quickly, however, he sobered up. "That morning-" He trailed off- "I got into the mainframe, but-"

"Yeah," Tyson quickly interrupted. That morning's ordeal was one that was not talked about.

The computer genius typed frantically, stopping once to take a deep breath and type the rest carefully. "Uhh, guys?"

"Yeah?" Ray and Tyson responded, leaning forward.

He sighed. "I'm in."

Lines of stats and a slate colored background was featured on the screen. He gasped as he took a look at the sidebar and links to the rest of the site's contents. "What is it?" Max asked, poking his head in the room.

"There's... a list."

Ray leaned closer to the computer screen. "Of what?" He asked.

Kenny sighed and clicked on the top link of the page. "Uhh, every single person who was ever in the abbey. This data base was updated not too long before Kai left, but it has everyone."

Hilary appeared in the doorway, following Max into the room. "Should we call Kai?" she asked. Tyson looked up at her, a nervous and unsure look on his face.

"Let's check it out first," Tyson said. "Let's not get him worked up unless it's absolutely necessary."

Max, Ray, Kenny, and Hilary stared at the blunette, their jaws hanging down. "Tyson," Hilary said sheepishly, "That's probably the smartest thing you've ever said."

He beamed at her. "And you thought I was dumb!"

A blush spread across her cheeks as she stared up at Tyson, who was sitting on the couch, while she was kneeling below the coffee table in front of it. He pressed a hand to her cheek, tracing it's contours. "You're blushing, Hil," He said, after tracing it with his thumb. She shrugged, though a charming smile was on her face.

"Uhh, okay," Ray said, breaking the small trance between the two. "Let's get our heads out of the clouds, and back into reality."

Hilary sighed, but a hand was pressed to her shoulder, meaning that the previous moment was anything but over. "So, Chief," Hilary said, "Check out Angel's file first."

"Okay," He said, going back to the previous page where the links with names was, and sliding down three names to Angel's. With a click he looked back at the group. "I'm in."

"Okay," They said cautiously, "What do we have?"

The computer processed everything and suddenly, a bright-eyed photograph came up on the screen. "Uhh, guys?" Kenny asked.

"We see it," Max said carefully. "That isn't Angel."

"Chief-"

"On it." Within moments, another page came up next to the one with Angel's name on it, but there was no picture, and no information on the page. It just said, 'terminated.'

"They screwed something up," Max commented.

The group nodded, thinking a moment. "Kenny," Hilary said, nervously, "What if they didn't mess up the files?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if it was supposed to happen that way?"

The group looked at Hilary and then each other. "What are you thinking?"

Kai walked in the room, and the group tried its best not to look at him. They could hear Daichi eating something in the kitchen. "Hey, Kai?"

The captain turned from his somewhat dazed state and looked at Tyson. "What?" He asked softly.

The blunette felt a pang of sorrow at his best friend's condition. "How well did people, other than Boris, know you at the Abbey?"

He shrugged. "Not well enough to know our names." After this statement, his face tilted toward the window.

"They could've," Tyson said carefully. "But Mina had-" Kai's attention whipped quickly to Tyson.

"No," Ray said. "Maybe she didn't."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Max asked. The rest of the group nodded.

It seemed as though five lightbulbs lit up at once. "She never did," Tyson said, with a smile. "That would make sense!"

Kai's eyes fell upon the blunette champion, who slowly made his way over to him. "Kai," He said evenly, "I don't think Mina ever had cancer."

Within five seconds, the spark was back in his amethyst-grey eyes.

_**x x x**_

Bryan's arm was around Angel. She sighed. It had taken a few weeks to get all the information back to him, but it was probably worth it, she supposed. "And that leads us up to when I saw you again."

He nodded, and she leaned into him. "That's a hell of a story."

"And it's best kept a secret, so don't tell anyone. The last thing I want is pity. You had such a burning desire to know so I figured that I'd let you know instead of letting you rely on fragments of information you could turn into quite an interesting story." He noted that her lips were chapped from being out in the cold for so long.

"Come on," He said, turning around, with her in tow. "Let's go back. Mina will probably want to see you."

"We're practically sisters," she said to the boy.

He nodded. "After that, you'd have to be."

_**x x x**_

Kai's semi-icy, totally dominating attitude was back in full swing. The group had shared an inward sigh of relief. "So, explain this to me again."

Kenny nodded, not bothering to be afraid as he usually was. "Okay, well the data base doesn't have Mina's picture with her stats. And these stats go with the picture, not with her. So it wasn't her who had cancer."

The captain tilted his head out the window. "Whose face was on the page?"

"Which one?"

"The one with Mina's stats on it?"

"It just said, 'terminated,'" Hilary said. "We don't know."

"Someone blocked it on purpose." Kai reached out toward Kenny's laptop and clicked on another name. "See?" He said, turning the screen back to Kenny and the others. "This kid was kicked out when I was around. They killed him." He trailed off for a moment before continuing. "This page doesn't say 'terminated.'"

Tyson looked up at Kai. "So someone's been tampering with the data, huh?"

There was a nod. "We'll have to ask Boris," Ray said. Kai shrugged, but a flicker of fright crossed his features. He quickly concealed it, but Tyson had noticed, now taking great care in his captain's emotional spectrum.

"You guys go ahead," He said, throwing his head in the direction of the door. "I'll stay here; I'm hungary."

Hilary flashed Tyson a charming smile before she rounded up the rest of the group and headed toward the door. Once everyone had left, as it had been quite a commotion, Tyson set out to make a sandwich, around Kai, who was seated at the island-bar in the kitchen.

"You didn't have to stay," Kai said, after a moment. "I'm fine."

Tyson opened up the refridgerator and took out lettuce, tomatos, cheese, turkey, and ham. "That's a lie." Kai looked at the blunette, however his back was to him. "Just because you're back to your old self," Tyson continued, "Doesn't mean that all of a sudden, you're alright. The guys know you. We all know you. And you're not okay, and we're not stupid."

"Hn."

"Actually, when you do that," Tyson said, stacking the lettuce on top of the bread, "You're supposed to sound a bit more distant, like you aren't even hearing a word we say."

"I do," Kai said suddenly.

Tyson nodded. "We all knew that."

"Do you really think she switched with someone?"

Tyson nodded again. "Yes. Either that or someone, like your grandfather, was messing with the files."

Kai shrugged. "He's not in jail right now, so I wouldn't doubt it."

"Do you think they were right? Even just a little?" Tyson asked him.

Kai shook his head, his status as captain returning a bit. "Mr. Dickenson wouldn't do that. He's got better judgement."

"Let's hope so," Tyson said calmly. "The last thing we need is another issue."

"We've got one on our hands already."

Tyson nodded. "Kai," He began cautiously, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want, but out of curiousity, what happened between you and Angel that was so bad?"

Kai looked up at Tyson, and closed his eyes, a rattling breath taken by the captain. He pressed his index fingers to his temples and rubbed them. "Angel and I had a fight. I wasn't myself then, and I did some things I regret."

Tyson looked a bit confused, he wasn't sure what was going on, but nodded solemly all the same.

"I mean," Kai continued, "You'd know by looking at her."

Tyson's eyes widened for a moment. Those marks. _Those_ ones.

"Yeah." He paused. "You'd think she'd blame me, but no, she blames Boris."

Tyson stood up. "Well it wasn't your fault, you were young."

"Old enough to know better."

"Do we have to go back to Lake Baikal?"

Kai's head shot up and he looked at Tyson. "What did you say?"

"Do we have to go back to Lake Baikal?" He paused. "The last time we went through your past, we ended up having to save you from sinking into the lake and dying. You know we'd all do it again, without a second thought." There was another pause. "Maybe this has more of an effect when the entire group's around, but there's nothing much I can do about it. We all care about you, as much as you don't think so. And we don't care what you've done, because you're our captain, and you've held us together. And so help us, we'll keep us all together, even if you can't do it for us."

Kai nodded, and Tyson smirked at him. "You know, I think you and I should beybattle."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, Tyson," He said darkly.

Tyson smirked. "I'll make you, and have no regrets about it."

Kai got up and walked away. Tyson followed, closing off the hallway, making the captain's only choice as the one to go outside. He did so, and a greyish-white beyblade flew past his head, whistling through the air as it did so. Kai sidestepped it, so Tyson sent it back at him.

"Tyson, no," He repeated.

"Yes."

"What the hell are you doing! I won't beybattle you."

"Then fight me."

"I won't hurt anyone!"

"It won't hurt me, I promise you."

"Would you snap out of it?" Tyson grabbed the Russian by the shoulders and threw him to the ground. Kai got back up and pulled back his arm to throw a punch, but he stopped himself first. "Fight me! You had no problem with it before!"

"I don't want to," Kai said.

"You sound pathetic."

"I thought you wanted to be the best blader in the world."

"I do."

"Then pick up your beyblade and let's go!" Kai looked at him in shock.

_"Pick up your beyblade and let's go! We've only got a little while before Boris gets back, so let's make this one count!"_

_Laughter. "Come on, Kai," Tala said. "Angel and Mina have a good point. When Boris gets back we won't be able to do this-"_

_  
"Wrong," Angel said, black hair flickering in the wind behind her. "We'll be able to, we'll just have to sneak out first. That's something worth doing in our spare time."_

_"I swear to God," Tala said, "you have a death wish."_

_Mina slapped him. "Wrong. I think we're fine." She glanced at Angel whose face was passive._

_"Anyway," Angel said, changing the subject away from death, "Let's go! Pick up your beyblade Kai. Or are you too scared of me. I'll probably beat you. Again."_

Kai felt himself being shaken and he looked back up at Tyson. "Come on dude, I didn't mean to freak you out, I just want my buddy back."

"What?"

Tyson sighed in relief. "You going to fight me or not?"

"Not."

Tyson shrugged and grumbled something under his breath. It was at that moment that a blue beyblade flew past his head. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I never said I wouldn't beybattle."

_**x x x**_

Angel shut the door to her room behind her, checked around to make sure no one was there and locked the door. Within seconds, she had discarded her normal outfit for a tank top and a pair of shorts. The top of her scar was visible, and that was fine with her. She immediately went into the conjointed bathroom and twisted her leg around, resting her foot in the sink so she could see the back of it.

Her hand went to the bruise on her leg, and she cursed horribly in Russian before drawing out her cell phone.

"...I need to make an appointment." She said, not bothering with a greeting.

_**x x x**_

This is one of those times when people should look at the computer screen and say _DUN DUN DUN!_ Anyway, you should get it figured out eventually.


	6. Corporate Control

**Disclaimer:** I don't own beyblade, all I own is my oc's and the plot line.

_By Their Saving Grace_

_Chapter Six: Corporate Control_

_**x x x**_

Angel flitted past Tala at an incredible speed. Practically running. She went to her office and shut the door, closing her eyes in the process. With considerable haste, her hands went to her head, and she scrambled into the bathroom joined to the professional-styled office of mahogany. In less than a minute, she reached her hands up to her head and pulled her hair back behind her, as to not let it get in the way.

The contents of her stomach, mostly water and the stub of bread she had forced herself to eat in the presence of the others found its way into the toliet bowl. She pressed the towel to her lips, wiped them and went directly to the sink to rinse the acidic taste out of her mouth. She looked up at the mirror at her paling skin and luminiscent eyes. They were still haunting, and the paler her skin became the better it looked.

Please, she begged, let it end.

Brian knocked on the door and she shuddered, hearing him call to her in that ruthless tone of his.

"Hang on," She called, closing her eyes and counting to ten, taking her time. She looked down and realized that she had a slight problem, so she undid her belt and tightened it up a notch. She hadn't remembered doing that in a long time. Usually her pants were tight enough to sustain themselves.

She sighed. Brian had interrupted her train of thought, knocking on the door again. "Open up, Ang."

"Coming, coming," She called tiredly. She unlocked the door and maneuvered her way back to her chair. He entered and she braved a smile. "So, what's up?" She asked, her eyes narrowing slightly, one leg crossed over the other, shielding most of herself from view.

"There's something you should see." She allowed him to lead her by the hand, though she pulled away at his cold touch after a few seconds.

She followed him out to the corridor overlooking the training grounds. Tala had been facing off against Riku, however, both beyblades were strewn immobile in the dish. "Congratulations," She said, turning to Riku. "You're doing a hell of a lot better than before. Nice work."

Riku nodded, a smirk of victory clad upon his features. "That's not it though," Tala said. "Robert, tell us what you found."

"There's a problem," The Majestic's captain said carefully. "We've been monitoring the Biovolt website, and it's changing. Some pages are no longer accessable. Someone's changing things."

"Really, I had no idea," Angel said, boredom apparent. "I've known that things would change the second that I made my grand entrance into the grand minion's life, er... Kai's. So what? We'll figure it out when the time comes."

Tala shook his head, and the plasma screen used to display movies and flickered to life, displaying images from a computer. "Ang, you've got the password," Tala said. "Unlock it."

"So do you."

"They changed it."

"Okay, and when the B.B.A. caves in upon itself, which I assure you will be in the near future, I will be sure to give two shits. Get back to practice. I'll watch the news." With a quick spin, she returned to her room. Tala and Brian looked at each other, before Riku rolled his eyes and cursed in astonishment.

"What the hell is her problem these days? She seems rather bitchy, don't you think?"

Tala shrugged. "Whatever. That's not your place to say, as true as it may be."

_**x x x**_

Meanwhile, in Japan, training and otherwise had commenced under the watchful eye of Kai, who was much more vicious and strict than ever before. Tyson, to his well concealed shock, had said nothing, instead fueling his frustration into his battling technique in perfect incraments, thus improving himself wonderfully. Kai's steely gaze gave them a hell of a lot of intimidation, but they shrugged it off, glad to have the captain's icy stature back. It seemed now, more than ever, that Kai held a key component in keeping them all together. Unbeknownest to him, he was indeed their security blanket.

"Again," he said indifferently, if any emotion shown itself, it was indeed shock. Max nodded, not bothering to look Kai's direction. They had been training since three this afternoon, and it was now almost seven. He sighed, withdrawing Draciel from the dish and locked his blade back into place on the launcher. From across the way, Ray smirked at him. Both had streaks of sweat down their faces, and were breathing just a little bit heavily.

Ray looked over to Kai, who held Dranzer firmly. Since he had begun beybattling again a week ago, he had been untouchable, actually, he had defeated Tyson. Something had stirred an untamable power in the Phoenix Prince, who until recently had been a huge wreck. Kenny stood near the edge of the dish, taking his cue from Kai to begin the countdown.

"Three-"

The three tightened their grips on their beyblades.

"Two-"

Max looked to Ray who looked at Kai, and the two nodded to each other, hoping not to have caught their captain's attention.

"One-"

Kai looked up, gripped his ripcord for dear life, and looked to Tyson, who nodded encouragingly.

"Let it rip!" They yelled together. Kai's voice and tone was inspiring. They noted it's elegance, it's nobility. It was something that they had noticed just a bit during his second battle with Brooklyn. Voltaire was an image of savage insanity and horrific intentions, however his grandson, well, he was sometimes so untouchable, they didn't realize how vulnerable he was. Still, Kai was a prince, and he deserved respect. Actually, he demanded it when it was due him, however now, they need not have him act as such. He received respect willingly from them. It was unspoken, and they weren't sure if he knew it, but part of them believed it so.

Max and Ray took hold of the battle quickly, combining their efforts upon launch to take out the slate-haired captain. He smirked back at the duo, seeming to have them figured out. However, unlike the last time, they did not back down. Instead, they continued with their attack, as Kai had moved between them, right where he was wanted to be.

"Don't think you'll beat me on your own, it won't happen."

The white tiger nodded accordingly, as the two quickly moved toward Kai, who instantly moved, causing the two to nearly collide head on, however, they had obviously anticipated this, instead following his split second motions, cornering him. They called out their bit beasts and finished the job, surprised that Kai hadn't called out his own bit beast.

When they looked up to Kai, they noticed a glint in his eye. They looked at each other for a moment. Was that- no, they must be reading him wrong. Again. "Good," He said after a moment of easy silence. He turned on his heel, beyblade and launcher in tow, and left.

They looked back at each other. Perhaps Kai was proud of them.

_**x x x**_

Kai sometimes wondered just what they thought of him. Most of the time, he didn't really care, but sometimes, he wanted to know if they understood just where he was coming from. Perhaps it was for this reason he and Tyson had become such good friends. Tyson was willing to divulge anything in return for anything, and sometimes even nothing. He had no intentions of taking advantage of the younger champion, but Kai knew that benevolence, though Tyson didn't understand it, was a word that he was definitely created for.

"You do know," Tyson said from behind him, leaning back against the counter, "That our team mates are anything but stupid, right?"

"Did you count yourself in this?"

Tyson shook his head. "We already know I'm a fool."

Kai nodded, not bothering to disagree with his friend. "Why are you telling me this?"

"You have to give us a game plan, brilliant. Either we fight against them, stay neutral, or we join them. We'll side with you, though I don't think joining them is something I'd prefer to do."

"Usually," The captain said hollowly, "When I switch sides, I do it alone."

"We'll do whatever you do," Hilary said, slipping into the room's doorway, past Tyson.

The slate haired captain thought for a moment. "Do you think fighting them will do anything?" Tyson and Hilary noted the strategically placed 'them,' and answered again in the third person.

"I think they're mad," Hilary said gently. "And in a way, what Boris did-" She cut herself off for a moment to check on Kai's reaction, "was horrible and seemingly unforgiveable, but Mr. Dickenson trusts him, and Dickenson hasn't steered us wrong yet, so I'd take my chances."

"Didn't I say something like that?" Tyson and Hilary nodded.

"It sounds like something you'd say."

Tyson looked thoughtful for a moment, which was shock enough to the other two in the room. "I don't want to bring up bad stuff," He said carefully, "But don't you guys think that the website thing is wierd?"

Eye rolling ensued. "We knew that, Tyson."

"No, no," He said, blinking a few times and shaking his head. "I mean that Mina's stats were under Angel's name, she didn't have cancer, someone else did, and we don't know who."

"There were few girls at the abbey," Kai said quietly. "Ten or so out of the one hundred and fifty of us. They stuck together, and in the end, the last one- well, you saw those results."

Figuring immediately that it was Angel, they shut their mouths and waited for him to continue.

"I fought her, and that was a bloody mistake on both our parts, literally. Anyway, she was kicked out when I defeated her, and after the original ten girls, they took no other females in, that I'm aware of. Said they were the weaker sex."

"That's a lie," Hilary said angrily.

Kai nodded. "I have a feeling you might be right about that." Pausing he added, "And I don't mean physically. None of those ten girls ever lost touch with themselves, something the guys typically did."

Hilary looked up at Kai, feigning a saddened smile. "Girls are emotional, but also very good at facades. We keep all the bases covered but still get hurt."

The captain noted that Tyson had moved closer to Hilary during this conversation, so he smirked and took a step back. "So you say that the rest of the group isn't stupid, right?"

"Yeah," Tyson said, unsure of where he was going with this.

"Then I wonder what the rest of them would say about the two of you."

With that, Kai slipped out of the room, leaving two blushing teens in his wake.

_**x x x**_

_"Well, how many have you managed to buy?"_

There was a devious smile. "Enough for our plan," the response came.

_"And when will this begin?"_

"Whenever it is of your liking."

_"Commence the plan immediately. Begin from the inside, and when you are done, I will have some physilities back for my master plan."_

"Good plans don't die, do they?"

_"No, so get to work. I'd like to be out there within the week."_

"Yes, sir."

The line went dead.

_**x x x**_

"Do you really think this is what we need to do?" Riku asked her. Enrique elbowed him and Robert stood at her side. Angel's eyes were closed, fingers massaging her temples. Tala, who was to her right, placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?"

"Headache," she said gently. "Let's go." She stood up and looked to Riku. "Yes, this is something we need to do. We've been doing this for a while now."

Once everyone who was going had left, Angel followed the well-disguised group of bladers through London streets. Robert stayed with her, and she concealed her heritage with a seemingly genuine accent. A policeman who stood on the corner stopped her.

"What are you doing out this late at night?" He asked her. "You're rather young," He continued.

"This is my big brother, and boyfriend," she said, referring to Robert and Enrique, respectively. The man nodded, and Enrique drew an arm around Angel.

"I was just walking them home from my house," he said, in an accent that also seemed genuine. "They live in the city."

The man nodded again. "Alright, just don't cause any trouble."

"Yes sir," she said, leaning into Enrique for a moment, noting his warmth, and staying there for a just a second longer than necessary.

"I didn't know you felt like that," Enrique said, smirking deviously at her. She slapped his arm.

"It's amazing what kind of a show a girl can put on," she said and winked.

"You know, when someone holds you, I bet they feel like they're holding the winter. You're so cold."

"I am, aren't I?" She commented to the Italian. "But that's okay, because I could encase you in so much ice, we could send you to the sun and you'd still have a hell of a time getting thawed out."

"So," Robert said, interrupting the two, "Is this the place?" He pointed to a large, seemingly abandoned building.

"Yes." Angel sprinted up to Tala, leaving Enrique and Robert to follow along behind. "Tala!"

He turned around, along with Mina, who stood at his side, holding one of his hands in her own. "Hey," Mina said, embracing Angel. Angel smiled and returned the hug to the bright eyed girl and walked up to the entrance, breaking out a beyblade launcher and launching her blade toward the locked gate.

"Taiydra," Angel called pensively. The beast's blade clashed with the lock and melted it where it stood.

From behind her, Alexander looked to Riku. "Oh no," he commented, "Taiydra's not in the slightest bit angry, is she?"

Angel recalled her beyblade and turned to the two younger boys. "If you'd like to discuss this with her personally, I can arrange that." They gulped. "Otherwise, zip your lip."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good." She smirked at their silence and opened the gate. "You know the drill. Survivors and data. Beyblades, too. We need them for anybody who makes it out alive."

There was a timed nod, murmurs of agreement and obedience, and the whole group split back up, searching the place from top to bottom, bringing out kids who had made it and kids with stories of those who didn't. Angel carried children who couldn't lift themselves up, some who looked barely old enough to crawl. They were all beautiful, talented, and strong, some were willful, some were broken, others were precious, like glass that you were afraid you'd break.

"Come on," Angel said, picking up a young girl, whose eyes were a soft pink color. Angel stared at her. "Honey, are there other girls?"

The young child nodded. "There were ten of us. Right now, there are five."

"Alright. What's your name?"

"Sarah."

"I'm-"

"You're Angel. I know who you are. We've been waiting for you ever since we heard the news." A smile emerged on the teen's face.

"Yeah. You're all going back to your parents or staying with us, okay?"

"Yeah, that's awesome!" She paused. "A lot of us don't have parents, but there's a record cabinet upstairs with all of the information they have about who they got us from."

"Okay."

"Brett is our leader. He's the blonde-" she pointed to the streetlight and the boy leaning against it, "Over there. He's kinda mean but he's always looking out for us when we need him."

"Okay."

Angel sighed. The complex had been abandoned by everyone, but locked up tight so no one could get out. They had broken a great deal of chains and too many bridges had been burned behind him. She smirked. She figured that there were a hell of a lot more places that needed their help if London still had a center set up by Biovolt.

_**x x x**_

She shut her eyes, throwing her head back and slapping her hand- and its contents- over and into her mouth. She downed a full glass of water, fighting the urge to curse or throw up what she had just put into her system. Nearby, she laid sight on another bottle, one that remained unopened. She'd prefer to keep it that way.

The pain that radiated through her was great. However, there was no literal radiation, and she had specifically requested it so. She had said that she was done with that until it was a life or death situation. And even then, she'd have to think about it greatly.

Tala knocked on the door to the office, and she shoved the pill bottles back into the top drawer of her desk. "Get in here," she said calmly. He did as told. "So, how are they doing?"

"We've gotten most of the kids back to their families. Some of them don't have families to go home to thanks to the idiot."

"Of course, what good is an arch-nemesis if he doesn't kill little kids' parents? I mean come on, this is the new century." She smirked at him though the statement was not funny in the slightest.

He looked at her strangely. "You okay, Angel? You haven't seemed yourself lately."

"I'm fine," she growled. "Don't worry about me so much. I'm not good with that, remember?"

He blushed, knowing that his 'mother hen' act toward her had malignant results the last time he had tried it three years ago. She smiled at him, a genuine smile. "If something is wrong, you'd know. I'd tell you."

"I'd hope so." He looked up at her, blinking once, and suddenly, his thoughts seemed to become clearer. "Oh shit! I'm supposed to tell you. We have some problems."

She grew deadly and serious in a total of five seconds. "What?" she asked, her dark lips deadly against pale skin and black hair.

He paused, biting his lip for a moment. "It's happened."

"So soon?" A deadly smile traced her lips, the pain going through her forgotten as a cruel laugh came out of her. "I suppose we should bail out their asses, shouldn't we?" She sloshed around a wine glass filled with water. "Someone has to, because God knows they can't do it themselves."

Tala shook his head. "You're too much."

"They're such assholes. They have no idea what the hell they just got us into. Hell, we have no idea. That's bad."

"Really bad."

She smiled at him. "This will be fun."

_**x x x**_

The next few chapters will be rather interesting. I'll try to update again at least once before x-mas!

Please, please, please, for me, for the holidays, for that warm feeling I get when you do, REVIEW!!!

Thanks for reading!!!


	7. Terror Eternal

**Disclaimer:** I don't own beyblade, all I own is my oc's and the plot line.

_By Their Saving Grace_

_Chapter Seven: Terror Eternal_

_**x x x**_

Kai wasn't quite sure how this was supposed to make him feel. It had happened so quick, so unexpectedly. He knew that this was hard on him, perhaps harder than it was on anyone else, with the exception of the old man sitting at the dining room table of Tyson's home, face wetted with fresh tears. He thought he had made the right decision, much like Kai had thought as well.

They were both terribly wrong.

"Dai, come here," Hilary called. The news was on in the room, and Hilary felt the need to remove the young boy from the group. After all, she had been up as early as he and Ray, watching the news. Actually, he wasn't sure if they had slept much at all.

"This is bad," Tyson said from his left.

The neko-jin to Tyson's left, who sat on the edge of the couch didn't take his widened eyes off the screen as he spoke. "You think?" He asked incredulously.

"Nine fifty-eight at night," Kai said. "That was the time."

"They've had control for twelve hours now."

Max added a bit to the conversation, sitting to Kai's right. "More than that, Grandpa."

Hilary walked back into the room. "The world is going to hell."

Kai nodded. "There's nothing we can do right now. He's got too many minions fully trained."

"There are riots in the streets here, in Paris, in Cairo, Saint Petersburg, and New York City. And they have more reports coming in by the second. Those are just the big ones."

Kenny typed frantically into his computer before he looked back at his friends. "Has anyone gotten in contact with us?"

"No one's called to say 'I told you so,' if that's what you mean," Kai said.

"Will they come here?"

Ray shook his head. "No. Why would they come here if they could have the free reign over the city?"

"Because I'm here."

Tyson snorted. "Dude, if they wanted you, they would've gotten you when you had seen Angel."

Murderous looks were sent to him by everyone, except Kai. He shrugged.

"Well, they would've!" He shouted in his defense.

Kai shrugged. "They aren't exactly ones to torture me all at once. I wouldn't be surprised if Angel was just setting us up. Tala is just as fickle as I am when it comes to changing sides."

Hilary looked at him. "Yeah, he changed and joined BEGA within two seconds of it's appearance, right? He was in the hospital because he fought with BEGA too," she said sarcastically.

"Touché," Kai said.

"We thought he had changed sides, but maybe he was on the right one all along."

"Boris extended the offer for us to join him," Max said. "We can't."

"Obviously," Ray said curtly. "By the way, have you talked to your mom?"

Max nodded. "She called around midnight our time. Said that the B.B.A. building was swarming with Biovolt soldiers."

"This is so stupid!" Tyson beat the cherry coffee table before him with both fists. Kai stared at him, his attention caught by the action. "We can't just sit here and let them take over the world."

A sharp knock on the door of the front room caught their attention. Tyson and Kai stood, grasping their launchers tightly. "Get Dickenson and Daichi. We might have to leave quickly."

The two champions made their way to the door, which was still being beaten on. Tyson slid the door open about an inch, but it was quickly thrown open all the way, as an array of bladers stood before them, launchers at the ready.

"Oh shit," Tyson said, looking to Kai, who didn't look thrilled. "Uh... guys?"

_**x x x**_

"You really shouldn't be getting out of bed."

"I have to puke, dipshit, I'm sick."

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Can't you keep that to yourself? It's bad enough that I have to listen to you do it."

"Ha ha. You aren't the one doing it, so keep your fucking mouth shut and help me up. If you hurry, I won't blow chunks on you."

He stood up, walking across the room to her side. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah." She sat up slowly, keeping herself from groaning and acting pitifully weak. She got to her feet, but lost balance quickly. "Shit," she cursed, as Ian caught her just before she hit the ground. "The bathroom," she said tiredly. "Hurry."

He did as she commanded, while trying to remain as gentle as possible. It was a tough task for him, as he was used to being so cold for so long. When she had finished, and he had nearly vomited himself, he brought her back to the bed carefully. "Will you be alright?"

"What time is it?"

"Noon."

"Could you bring me the three pill bottles in my bag?"

He went to her bag, opening it and rifling through it carefully. "There's four bottles."

She sighed. "Just bring me all of them," she said tiredly. He did as told again, and she sorted through them. "Throw this one out. I never want to look at them again."

A crash downstairs shook the building. "Uhh... Angel-"

"Go take care of it. I'll be fine. Just throw these out on your way."

Once Spencer had left her, without so much as a second glance, something she was grateful for, she sighed and took the huge pills required of her. Her throat burned from vomitting, and she was so hungry, but nothing would sit in her stomach, and she didn't really want to take her chances on vomiting even more than she already would.

She stared at the wastebasket. If they weren't there, she'd never feel threatened to take them. Which was good. She had taken them once, and that was horrible. She just prayed that this time the meds would work. Though last time, they hadn't, and a sinking feeling in her already unsettled stomach told her that it wouldn't.

With a groan that had somehow escaped her, she figured it was worth a shot.

_**x x x**_

Boris looked out from the twelth floor of Japan's main B.B.A. building. Around him, in the streets, they were dark, dead, or else smothered in beybladers of his own training. They obeyed only Voltaire and himself, being the best on the planet. No one had yet to challenge them from Angel's ward, unless they had ambled upon the group's many members themselves, but the odds were still in his favor. He had aquired a great amount of knowledge he would be sure to use.

"Sir?" He asked, upon hearing the door open.

"Good. You're already here." He paced toward the window. "It's breathtaking, isn't it? We have complete control. More and more cities and bladers fall by the day. And my dearest grandson is still too afraid to make a stand, though I've heard he's siding with the wench again."

"He's still afraid of her."

"And that is advantageous to our situation." He threw open a cupboard. "Sparking wine is indeed best at this time of year." He sloshed it around the edge of his wine glass before taking a casual sip. Voltaire smirked. "My minions will allow me to rule the world!" A maniacal laugh followed. "We shall enjoy a reign of terror all our own."

"Absolutism has it's benefits."

"Indeed." He took another sip of wine. "However, there are a few more things that need to be taken care of first."

"Sir?"

He snapped his fingers and two brutal looking men approached him. Voltaire smirked. "Bring my Granddaughter. It's time we had a reunion."

_**x x x**_

"This is the way," Mina said, gesturing to Tala and Robert, "I'm sure of it."

"You know, those fools will still be too stubborn to accept our help," Tala commented.

Robbert shrugged. "They might not have a choice in the matter."

"You never know," Mina said, "Though it is likely that they will be in hot water by the time we get there."

She led them around a corner.

"Yeah, if they still had a house," Tala said, assessing the charred place before him.

"Tell Angel!" Mina said, suddenly charging ahead to see what had happened.

Tala slapped a hand to his face. "Go make sure no one ambushes her," He commanded Robert, who rolled his eyes at being given orders by the Russian, but obeyed all the same. "Alright," he drew out his cell phone and dialed.

_"What?_" The voice was curt and he had forgotten that the girl was sick.

"We're here, and well..."

_"Well what?"_

"They're not here, unless they're dead underneath the rubble. They torched the place to the ground."

_"Great."_ A shuffling sound was heard, followed by, _"No, Ian, I'm not alright, but we've got bigger problems than me. I feel better anyway."_

"Just ignore him, he doesn't understand being sick, or girls."

Tala could see her rolling her eyes. "_You Think?"_ She asked.

"Are you coming out here?"

_"The place is torched. If you find a body, I'll come. Otherwise, there's really nothing to see. I trust you'll get any clues-"_

"MINA!" She heard the phone connect with the pavement. Of course, she realized. They'd wait for one of them to come. And of course, Tala would let her run ahead. This was just fucking wonderful, she thought viciously.

Robert had picked up the phone. "We've got a problem," he said into the receiver.

_"No, really. Did they take her?"_

A sigh followed. "Yeah."

_"Meet me somewhere."_ She paused. _"And don't let Tala beat himself up about it, even if it was indeed his fault. There's a hell of a lot of people we're going to have to fight."_

_**x x x**_

Tyson smiled at his grandpa. "You have to get out of here," he said, looking between the old man and Dickenson. "Max called Judy, and they arranged a flight in her jet. This place is way to dangerous, and we're way too popular."

Kai nodded. "You all should be going with them."

"And miss out on the fun?" Ray asked. "I don't think so dude, you're stuck with us."

Tyson approached Hilary. "You should go too."

"Why?"

"They'll use you to get to us."

"I'm stronger than that."

"I know, but-"

"Tyson Granger, did you just agree with me?" The group stared unattractively at the two. "I'll be damned," she said quietly, her voice a whisper of shock.

"You need to go with them."

"I'd rather stay-"

"This place is dangerous, and you don't have a blade. Besides, you should look after Mr. Dickenson and Grandpa. They're kinda old, you know." He flashed her one of his charming smiles, and she embraced him tightly, crying into him.

"Be careful, okay?"

"You've got it." He held her out at arm's length, pressed a kiss to her forehead, and looked to Kai. "I'm going to take them to the airport. Here's hoping that's still running smoothly. If not, I guess I'll end up looking like a terrorist. Either way, if I'm not back around here in an hour, go on without me."

"We'll be here," Kai said calmly, resting against the tall streetlight. He looked to the other three who were going with Tyson and nodded out of respect.

"Be careful," Hilary piped up, looking to Kai. She smiled at him for an extra moment before Tyson took her by the hand and led them in the direction of the airport.

_**x x x**_

"This is not good," Tala said, looking to Angel, who looked pale and sickly. "And you look like shit." She rolled her eyes and continued wrapping the gauze around her toned stomach so it covered the blade slash on her back that hurt like a son of a bitch. Stupid Biovolt.

"I'm sick, first off," She replied tartly, "Second, I hate blood. Third, in times like this, very few things can be attributed to good, remember?" Upon finishing the treatment of her wound, she pulled her shirt down and looked around. She settled her focus back around at the group of talented bladers before her, her eyes resting on Enrique, who was currently in conversation with Riku and Alexander. "Alright, we need to find them."

Immediately at the word 'them,' the rest of the room translated it to Kai and his friends. "Alright," Robert said. Enrique, Alexander, and Riku immediately came forward.

"Uh, Angel?" Enrique said, rather sheepishly, "Where the hell is the C-Squad?"

"Mother fucker."

"That's great language for a girl," Robert commented quietly.

"I heard that. And when you hang around with mostly guys, it's kind of hard to keep these things to yourself." She looked around the room. "Somebody try and get in contact with the C-Squad. I sent them out ages ago, they should've come back. Other than that, someone else make a list of our MIA's. We'll have to start patrolling the city. This is getting out of hand."

"London's a mess," Johnny said. "The news says it's horrible."

"Didn't we get kids out in London?"

"It doesn't fucking matter who we got out where, when he's got a hundred thousand kids to deploy all over the fucking world!" She took a swig of water that lay dormant in the cup next to her. "Something has to be done. We have to find Kai and his group first, then start looking for whoever's missing. "Liz, did you get in contact with the C-Squad?"

She shook her head. "Great." She looked over at the group. "I had Ian and Oliver in that group. Just lovely." She looked back at Liz. "Someone has to stay on the communicator at all times incase Ian comes in with coordinates."

Bryan glanced once at Angel. "Have you lost weight?"

"I've been sick, dipshit, I haven't been eating, in case you haven't noticed." Her spike of defensive behavior shocked the group.

"Oh."

Tala gave Bryan a strange look that said for him to keep his mouth shut about the subject of her weight. The second she had gotten up and walked away, Bryan sent Tala a hellish glare.

"What the hell were you thinking, saying that?" Tala asked. He immediately recoiled and went about to change the subject.

"I already know what happened to her. Chill out. She told me when you were so hell bent on checking on Mina. And look where she is know."

Riku rolled his eyes. "We have no idea what the hell happened to her or where she is. And what the hell happened to Angel?"

"Would you three assholes shut your mouths?" Angel stood before them, her eyes holding a ruthless, enraged glint. "The subject of my personal life need not apply at this moment in time. Would you please fucking shut up? I'd like to sleep some so I can beat the shit out of this flu or at least contaminate the rest of you fools." She coughed fakely in their direction before walking away from them and slamming the door in her wake.

Tala looked at Bryan. "Got any hand sanitizer?"

"Get your own," he said, pulling a small clear bottle out of his inner coat pocket. "I don't share with red haired freaks. Blue haired kids," He said, gesturing to the sea blue hair color of Riku, "Are tolerable. Kid, you want some?"

Riku opened his hands up and caught the bottle from Bryan, using some and tossing it back to the Russian blader. Tala rolled his eyes. "You two are assholes, you know that?"

"They work for me," Angel said groggily, from the next room over. "Now shut the fuck up and help the others find Kai and his friends."

_**x x x**_

Tyson slipped into the bushes, praying to whatever powers that be that no one on the wrong side saw him. He sighed as some rather vicious looking kids in Biovolt jackets passed by. That would've been a hell of a situation.

He got out of the bushes, cursing swiftly while trying to get the bushes' leaves out of his hair. His right hand was laid tight on his launcher, just in case. He turned and looked behind him, seeing no one. Hilary had grudgingly gotten on the plane after his grandfather and Mr. Dickenson, however he had to promise her something to do so.

It wasn't like it was a bad promise, he told himself.

Another part of his mind laughed at him. He figured that it would be the mature part, making it's very first and probably last appearance. This part of his mind reminded him that their deal was sealed with a kiss, and it was therefore very- VERY- important that he keep said deal.

Especially for said date, he reminded himself. Anyway, now that his mind was floating higher than high, he felt the hand on his shoulder. It was a cold hand and he suddenly froze.

"Shit," he cursed.

"God, don't make a habit of that," A voice called to him. "We thought you were a Biovolt soldier."

Tyson turned around slowly to see his team mates standing before him, looking a bit tired, frazzled almost, like they had been through a battle themselves.

"Jesus Christ, what happened to you?" Tyson asked, looking to Max, who had a bit of foreign material wrapped around his arm. It was in that instant that he realized that the great scarf of Kai Hiwatari was about five inches shorter than its usual length.

Kai shrugged, noting the quizzical look on Tyson's face, the critical one that demanded an in-depth explanation.

"This city isn't safe anymore," Kai said, carefully. "We got into a little fight."

"Little says the guy who had to rip his beloved scarf." Tyson gave the gang a group that told them he wasn't buying the 'no big deal' route.

Ray sighed. "Alright, this is the deal. We got into a fight, the idiots attacked us, got a chuck of Maxy, and then we turned around and beat their asses. Better?"

"I'll take it," Tyson said with a sigh. "Where the hell are we going to go?"

Kai looked around. "We have to find shelter somewhere."

"Okay." Thought consumed the group for a moment, before Max raised his left hand, the one that was not wrapped up in Kai's scarf.

"Got an idea, Maxy?"

"Yeah," he said quietly. "We can go to my Dad's. At least check out the news, recharge, and get our asses ready for a fight. Besides, it's on the edge of the suburbs, practically out in the middle of nowhere, and if someone shows up, we'll have plenty of blades for retalliation."

"Alright." Kai looked to the others. "We go to Maxy's, right?"

An unanimous nod of approval set them on their way.

_**x x x**_

The two madmen looked out over the city. In the course of two days, things had progressed rather well. The eastern half of the city had been completely overrun. People went into the streets in fear, leaving them in absolute control. The western half was a bit stubborn, but none the less, it would be conquered soon as well.

"Where do you think they're hiding?"

Voltaire thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps we should ask our sources." He brought a communications device to his lips, pressing another button on it as well first to disguise his voice. "Alexander, do you read?"

A moment of static hailed to a voice of a young boy. _"Loud and clear. What's up, boss?"_

The elder man held down a button as he spoke into the device. "Have you located Kai? We have Mina here with us, she's rather fiesty and refuses to admit to anything."

Static again ceased to another response. _"Figures. She's always had a loud mouth. She'll say the right things if you push her buttons properly. As far as Kai and his team mates, Angel hasn't said anything about them. I'm sure that when someone finds them, she'll be sure to react."_

"Good," Boris said in the background. "We're still holding all the cards."

_"Oh," _Alexander responded again, _"Before I forget, I have something else for you. Good information."_

"Yes?" Voltaire asked, in anticipation.

_"I found a morphine prescription in her garbage can before. It doesn't mean much to me, but perhaps you might know why she'd have a hold on some painkillers?"_

"Don't worry about that. Keep me posted on her condition."

_"She's been sick lately."_

Laughter followed on Voltaire's end, though Alexander heard an electronically distorted version of the same. "Well now, that's interesting. That will be noted, and you will be rewarded for your excellent work. For now, keep a low profile. I don't want to have your mutiny committed until the rest of the pieces fall into play." He laughed softly. "Don't worry, Alexander, it won't be long."

Alexander laughed. _"This double agent thing can be fun. I'm not too concerned about the side switching ordeal. The closer I get to Miss Asmerov, the more it will hurt when I screw her over."_

"Angel is a snake," Voltaire warned. "She may or may not know about you and let you continue as you are. Be careful of her, not too careful. If my hypothesis is correct, she'll be too worried about Kai and her friends not worrying about her, that her attention will not be on you. Like I said, it will not be long before the pieces fall into play."

_"Then it's checkmate."_

Voltaire smirked. "Exactly, my boy. Checkmate. Let me know when you find the boys."

_"Yes sir."_

"Good lad."

_**x x x**_

**_Author's notes: _**There you have it. Some people have put inklings of the facts together... (RTC), who I thank so very much for reviewing, as well as the rest of you who have. Please, review, and I will be very very happy. Think of it as spreading the holiday spirit. Or if you don't celebrate a holiday, just think of the happiness you will be bringing me. And if none of this matters, hit the review button to either humor me, or waste a few seconds of your life on a pitiful authoress. Anywho, like it, lump it, want it gone, let me know. Thanks for reading!!

Distant Storm, signing off!


	8. I Wouldn't Say I Told You So

**Disclaimer:** I don't own beyblade, all I own is my oc's and the plot line.

_By Their Saving Grace_

_Chapter Eight: I Wouldn't Say I Told You So_

_**x x x**_

_His eyes opened. He gasped. In front of him stood flaming ruins of what he knew was the city. He ran full force toward the flaming buildings, dodging falling meteors of rubble. He could hear screams. They all sounded so damn familiar. It scared him beyond anything he had ever heard before. The temperature was searing, the smoke was choking him. His eyes watered, and he wasn't sure if it was also because of the smoke or if it was because he was crying. He figured, by this point, that it was both._

_"HELP ME!" His eyes were directed to a building to his left, a huge complex that towered higher than anything he had ever seen up close. The sky was black, the sun and moon blotted out. "KAI, PLEASE!"_

_He looked in a window, seeing it shatter as the figure in it pounded upon it's weakened glass. He recognized the face, the desperate frustration and terror radiating through her features. His heart skipped a beat. "MINA!"_

_"KAI, HELP ME! I'M BURNING!"_

_"MINA! MIN-"_

Like a thick blanket had been pulled off his head, he felt himself pulled back into reality. Although, Tyson's hands gripping and shaking his shoulders tightly helped a bit. "Dude, come on, snap out of it!"

"Huh? What?" He bolted upward like lightning, his eyes adjusting to the light. They were at Max's house, that is, his father's house. The American typically stayed with Tyson, as the rest of the team did.

Tyson's concerned chocolate eyes met his amethyst ones. "Dude, you kept yelling for Mina, we were getting worried."

Kai noted that none of his team mates, besides Tyson were in his room. His embarassment would've been a factor, but he was sure that in the past months he had done worse and was no longer effected by the fact that he was acting like a weakling.

"You okay?" Tyson asked him.

He shrugged. "No."

"Want to talk about it?"

"No."

"We have to do something. First you have the ordeal with Angel, who seems to be on the right side, and now you're yelling in your sleep for Mina."

"We have to find Tala," Kai said, brushing the icy sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand.

Tyson nodded. They had been safe in Max's house for a week now, though it seemed that the world just a few miles away was in turmoil, like being in a war zone. Something had to be done.

"Hasn't anything been heard about their 'Russian Maffia' or whatever they're calling themselves?"

"No," Tyson said in response. "Not at all. Kenny's been doing searches, but we've got nothing since a bit over two weeks ago in London when they burned a complex to the ground. Police said the place was abandoned."

"Probably because it was." He thought for a second. "Get me my cell phone."

"Got it," Tyson said, running outside the bedroom for a minute and yelling the captian's command. Within a moment, the sleek black phone was being dialed.

Tyson walked out of the room, leaving the captain alone. He emerged a moment later. "Kenny, can you get my cell records?"

The Chief looked back at Kai, who had walked into the living room, shirtless. "Y-yeah, why?"

"I need to make a phone call."

The group exchanged curious glances. "What number do you need?"

"One I from an incoming phone call. The night Angel showed up."

"Dude, you don't have to get that-" Max began, but Kai interrupted.

He ran a hand through his hair. "We've got nothing else. Tala isn't answering, and we need something here. Somekind of allies would be helpful, in case you haven't realized that we're going to run out of food soon, and we can't hide forever."

Ray nodded. "Thanks man, I know it can't be easy agree to this."

"I asked to do this, I didn't say I agreed with it."

"I've got the number."

"Give it."

_**x x x**_

"You awake yet?"

She sighed, stiffling a laugh. "Did you not hear the shower turn on, great dense one?"

"You're in a good mood today. To what do we owe this great miracle?" She opened the door and smirked at him.

"I've got a good feeling about today. Just don't ruin it."

"Alright, I won't tell you what's going on in the streets." Tala sighed and waited for her to follow him to the main control room.

She scanned a few computer screens. "Anything more than what's typically happening?"

"The rates of looting and gang violence has gone up."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course it's going up Tala, he's got a ton of recruits, and every blade gang- speaking of which, did we find the leader of the Blade Sharks yet? Anyway, every blade gang is going to be out there fighting."

"Yes," Riku piped up, "we got a phone number."

"Location of the C-Squad?"

"Nothing."

"Mina?"

"Guessing she's with the bosses."

"Great. Just what I hate to hear." Angel pulled out her cell phone. "Give me the name and number of the leader of the Blade Sharks."

"Omaru, 656-2451-97853." Riku repeated it, but she was already waiting on the phone's ring.

"Hello?" There was a pause. "This is Angel Asmerov... Yeah, Russian Maffia. Acually The Rising. Anyway, what say we meet up somewhere, and discuss a possible alliance?" There was a second pause. "Fine. Midnight. I'll bring some of my guys you bring some of yours. Just to make it interesting, we may have to test you." She sent a look toward Tala. "Yeah. Catch ya then." She flipped her phone shut. "Just so we're all totally clear, I hate that slang. Nobody use it. If you do, you answer to me."

Tala laughed. "Is that a threat?" He asked mellowly.

She came dangerously close to his face. "No, Tal-y. Not at all. That's a promise."

"She's scary when she's pissed off," A voice behind her called. She turned.

"Really?" The boys nodded, dumbstruck that they had been heard. "That's good, I'm getting the message across."

_**x x x**_

With a click of her tongue to the top of her mouth, she relaxed back into the chair. Days like these were far and few in between. She felt pretty good. As a matter of fact, she realized that she was a bit overdue for the pills, but it wouldn't be a big deal. She'd take them the next time she ate.

From her pocket, the sound of Evanescence's "Lithium" filled her office. She sighed. "Well, here's hoping that this is something good," she said heavily.

She picked up the phone, opening the sleek black contraption. "Yes?" She asked into it.

_"... Angel?"_

An undeniable smile spread its way across her face. "Hey," she said gently. "Feeling better?"

_"Fine."_

She rolled her eyes at his shortness. "Yeah, I bring out the best in everyone. Thanks for the reassurance."

_"Don't think I really want to be doing this,"_ He replied, angrily.

"Calm down, Kai," She said, growing a bit annoyed. "What's going on? You guys alright?"

_"Since when are you concerned?"_

"Since I'm sure that something is indeed wrong. Other than the fact that the city is falling to ruin and you're probably trapped in one of your little friend's houses, praying to God that we find you before they do."

She heard a sigh before he spoke again. _"I- I mean we- can't stay here forever. Where are you guys? Boris is demolishing the city."_

"Tsh, you don't think I know that? I'm currently in the middle of this hell. You want a rescue, you got to get your asses just a bit closer to the city. Then we'll come and get you. I've got a meeting at midnight. And since when the hell do you rely on others to do your work for you?"

She smirked as he stumbled through his answer. _"Who the hell do you have a meeting with anyway?"_

"A kid named Omashu. You might know him, he's the guy who took over for you with the-"

_"The Bladesharks, right?"_

"Yeah. See, I knew it wouldn't be that hard for you to talk to me. I promise, I won't bite." She laughed a little. "Seriously, I didn't mean to freak you out."

_"When are you going to say it?"_

"What?"

_"I told you so."_

"I wouldn't say that. I need your help. They got Mina two weeks ago. And I know that in order to get her back, I'm going to have to give up a hell of a lot or else give them a hell of a run for their money."

_"They have Mina?!"_

"Yeah." She sighed and the tiredness she had been trying to avoid edged its way back into her system. "I've been sick, our C-Squad disappeared the same day she did, and Enrique and Tala are getting on my nerves just a little."

_"We need to meet up and figure something out."_

"Really?" She asked, completely serious, but completely sarcastic. "I had no idea. The world is crumbling around us Kai, name the location."

_"Can you get out to The Tate's Hobby Shop?"_

"Da." She snorted as she heard a voice on the other line ask what 'da' meant. "Got a time for me?"

_"Asap."_

"Want or need anything?"

_"No. We've got a stash of beyblade supplies, you're free to take whatever you'd like."_

"I'll tell the gang it's Christmas. Thanks."

_"Hn."_

She sighed before continuing. "And thanks for calling, I know it isn't easy to do. On either count."

_"Hn."_

"You make it so comfortable for someone to talk to you, God. I'm trying to be friendly."

_"Now you know how I feel."_

"Yeah, yeah." She paused. "We'll be out there as soon as possible. Can't garauntee that the mother hen will let me go with them, so Tala might be the leader of the group. He's been too fucking gay lately."

_"He's not."_

"Gay? No. He just acts like he is when he tries to be my mom. I've lived without parents for a long time. So it's really no big deal, though he tries to act like a tough guy and my mom all at once."

_"He's just worried, Squirt."_

"I know, and that's what scares me. And thanks for calling me squirt. Tala stopped, and it's just a bit more reassuring when you're heading an operation that can easily cave in on you at any moment."

_"Yeah."_

"Anyway, we'll be around soon, kay? Keep an eye out."

_"Alright."_

"Bye."

_"Hn."_

A small wave of guilt washed over her as she hung up the phone. But within ten seconds, it rang again, and she flipped the small phone open with incredible ease. "Yes?" She asked, now a bit more professional.

_"This is Dr. Shroffer, from-"_

"I know where you're from, Doctor. What's the news?"

_"You need to come in, now. We tested both, and they're both horribly malignant. You need another round of-"_

She didn't want to hear that word, and she knew painfully well what it was. Her body trembled at the sound of it. "Not again."

_"I'm sorry, it's the only way."_

"Well, have you seen the news?"

_"I garauntee you that our place is entirely safe. There is no war here, in Belgium."_

"Great, but I'm in Japan, and there's a huge problem here. I'm not leaving until this problem is solved."

_"You- you can't! My guess is that you've got six months."_

"The last time they told me that, I continued what I was doing for two years afterwards. Granted, I was a wreck, but I don't think that another month or so will kill me."

_"Do not underestimate-"_

"I don't underestimate anything. I'm well aware that I am sick." Her voice turned brutal and ruthless. "But you don't understand how many lives depend on me. I'm leading the operation countering the Biovolt terror wave. There is no way I will leave them and say, oh, darn, I have to go get chemo. Uh, uh. These guys need me more than I need that."

_"Are you taking the morphine we prescribed?"_

"For the chance that it does kill me, I will not die a morphine addict."

_"Those other prescriptions we gave you will not counter it forever, Miss Asmerov."_

"And neither will chemo. But if it does just a little of what it's supposed to, I'll take it."

_"You're being the fool, here, Angel,"_ The doctor said sternly. _"You prolonged it last time and look how bad it was."_

"And last time, I had no choice. And some people think I'm being the hero. I didn't need you to tell me that it's back, and I don't need you to tell me how severe it is. Last time, I took no meds over those two years. I think two months, with meds, will be okay."

_"You just said one month."_

"I don't know how long it will take. As long as it has to, I guess. But there are more important things right now than my health."

_"This isn't your health we're talking about anymore. This time, it will be more severe. Angel this could kill you!"_

"A lot of things can kill, Doctor. I'm not concerned. When the time comes, I will be." She looked up at the clock. "But now, I have to go. I'm needed to go down to the eastern side of the city. When I get the time freed up, I'll call you for an appointment, okay? I promise."

_"I just hope it's not too late."_

"I have a motto, and I know it won't be. Bye."

She flipped the phone shut and threw it in her pocket. She had said before that no doctor had to tell her. She was well aware of what her diagnosis was. She just had to keep it a secret long enough to go get help when she wasn't fighting Biovolt, instead of when Tala would make her. She secretly prayed that it wouldn't be too late.

_**x x x**_

Tyson leaned back and looked out the window, whose curtains were parted just a bit. He sighed. "Kai, this is taking forever."

"They'll be here, so chill out," Max said, earning a nod from Ray. The white tiger was stretched across the couch, almost as if he was going to take a nap. Kai, however, was standing, leaning against the wall. Kenny typed furiously on the computer.

"Freaked out?" Tyson asked Kai. Kai shrugged. "I am," The champion admitted, sheepishly. "That Angel girl is intimidating."

"Yeah," Max submitted quietly. "Very intimidating."

"She was never like that before."

Ray nodded, adding his own two cents. "Time changes people."

"She never wanted to be the leader of anything. Never wanted to stand out at all," Kai added with a hint of tiredness in his voice.

"You guys had a hard life."

Kai shrugged. "Still, it's hard to believe she went from no one to someone with this much power. What would make that happen?" He wondered aloud.

"Perhaps the responsibility of thinking not for yourself, but for others." Angel strode confidently into the room, clad in mostly tight black leather. "With great power comes great responsibility, and I don't need Spiderman as an example. I am one."

_**x x x**_

**_author's notes:_** there's chapter eight, woo, not much plot development with Biovolt just yet, but that's okay, because I know where I'm going with this, and we're working our way up to the climax. However, the Angel plot is going along pretty well, if I haven't made it clear what is going on with her, I think I may need to just come out and have it be said... and that will happen in a few chapters, because we can't have drama without the coming out of the biggest secrets this story has... so stick with me, please!!! Please please please!

Oh, and by the way, I know that more than the five people on my alerts list read this, so if you would, please review. I'm going to say that I need three of them (count on your fingers and toes if necessary) before I update. Okay? Thanks!

It's my x-mas wish!!!!

Distant Storm, signing off!


	9. Inside Out

**Disclaimer:** I don't own beyblade, all I own is my oc's and the plot line.

_By Their Saving Grace_

_Chapter Nine: Inside Out_

_**x x x**_

Kai had never been so surprised in all his life. The woman that he had previously been afraid of was tough as nails, but just about as gentle as a summer breeze. Nothing seemed to bother her, her sense of humor was sarcastic and all-that, as the others described, and she dressed like a secret agent. Tyson liked it, and more than once, Ray had threatened to tell Hilary on him.

Angel was constantly on the go, hardly stopping to for rest, except in the latest and darkest hours of night. The day she had appeared rather surprisingly in the Tate's living room, she had won over the support of the Blade Sharks, and what he had thought was a small group was hundreds strong. She commanded them all with Tala as her right-hand man.

His team mates were a bit skeptical of the young woman's style upon their first few days, but now, things had clicked and the huge abandoned complex was amazingly luxurious and acomodating, as if it had been left waiting for them.

So far, however, with Biovolt and his grandfather, aside from a few skirmishes, nothing big had happened. Angel had made no attempts at a break in of the B.B.A. building from which the show was being run, but she had indeed been carefully planning each move. He was surprised.

And apparently he wasn't alone in his belief that women were typically not that smart.

She had shoved his fist in his mouth a few hundred times over, and he wasn't going to wait for it to happen literally. She had told him that it would be next though, and he should be careful. She wasn't one to mess around, in that respect.

"Hey, Riku, Alexander, come here," The young woman called, and the two strode confidently into her office.

Sitting behind her desk, Angel's petite form was indeed watched. She took a casual sip of the water next to her and looked up at them. She smirked. "I have a little job for you two. I need you to sneak around the B.B.A. building and see what you can see." Both nodded. "Alex, do me a favor, make sure no one knows you're there. You're the master of stealth."

"Yes Angel," he said, in a monotone. Riku smirked his cocky smirk.

"As for you, Riku, keep your head on the ground, and don't start any trouble. I'd send Tala with you if I wanted a street fight, alright?"

"Yes," he said, rather down-trodden. She laughed.

"It's not like I told you that you wouldn't fight at all, I just said to try and avoid it. If it comes to you, that's something different." In a lower tone, she added, "I have to say these things in case Tala hears. He has a knack for starting trouble, especially since that time I sent him out with Tyson." She rolled her eyes. "They were just rearing for a battle."

"Yes ma'am."

"You two have your communicators?" Two sparkling clean devices were revealed to her, and she nodded in approval.

"I want the number of guards. It's one of the final puzzle pieces."

"Yes."

"Good luck," she said, with a genuine smile. "I'll see you two later."

_**x x x**_

Riku looked over to Alexander. "Do you think there's a chance that we could get in there and get Mina out without getting caught?"

Alex gazed over the fence, using his hands to prop himself up so his head poked over the tall fence around the grounds. "Not at all. Too many guards."

"How many you see?" Riku asked curiously. "We can take more than one."

"Twenty each, if we're lucky and they don't call back up."

"If we had Angel, she'd take care of them all on her own," Riku reminded him.

Alex shrugged. "She's not as strong as everyone thinks, she's been looking sick lately."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Yeah, people get sick."

"No- I mean-" He trailed off for a moment. "Ahh, forget it. Never mind."

The duo continued on. The guards seemed oblivious since the wall was huge. Alexander piped up after a while, his attitude a bit more solemn. "Let's split up. Contact me when you get to the opposite side of the wall. If you can get their attention, perhaps I can get in and check out the surrounding area inside the wall."

Riku nodded. "You've got it, partner."

The two knocked fists and split up.

Alexander smirked once Riku was out of hearing, switching the channel on his communicator. He was satisfied, knowing that it would block communications with Riku, but allow him a few more things. Like the ability to-

"Haru, it's Alex. There's one kid surveying the place. You gonna let me in or what?"

_**x x x**_

Riku walked around the place, stopping when he found a tree easy enough to climb. He peeked over the wall and stared. It was at this exact second that he hit the communicator's buttons at the speed of light, changing the channel.

_"...no, no idea. They'll be surprised and that's what we're going for."_

_"Your dedication will be rewarded. My grandchildren will be astonished. She is, as you say-"_

_"Yes. She grows weaker by the day."_

_"On both sides."_

The boy stared in shock between the boy who was on their side, who stood inside the walls of their enemy's stronghold, as if he was one of them, talking to a man via _their_ communicators that could only be Voltaire. He switched channels again, going to channel nine.

"Hey, this is Riku. Angel, you there?"

There was silence for a second.

_"Trouble already?"_

Riku sighed. "If you call Alexander talking to Voltaire trouble, then yes."

_"What the hell are you talking about?"_

Her voice was troubled, and it sounded just a bit tired. "He- he's standing inside the wall, laughing with some guards, and a second ago, he was talking to Voltaire. I caught the end of their conversation with my communicator."

_"Alright."_ There was a pause before a sigh. _"When you meet up with him, let him tell you what he saw, and DO NOT act like you saw anything. I'll deal with him later. Let him think he's won. Trust me, he won't. Now go do your job."_

"Gotcha." He paused, thinking of the nicest way to say it. "Ang, I'm sorry."

_"Don't be. He'll be sorry, but some things in this game can't be forgiven."_

_**x x x**_

Angel closed her eyes and sent Tala out of her office. He had come to check on how Alex and Riku's little 'mission' had gone. She knew he was bound to figure her out sooner rather than later, but at the current time, she had no idea how much Voltaire knew. Judging by the conversation relayed to her via Riku, Voltaire was aware. Which meant it was going to be used against her. She knew her 'time' was almost up. And she knew damn well that she'd fight it for all she was worth.

By the time she was done calming herself down, she took a few deep breaths and thought of what to do. Her eyes were tired, and she knew things were starting to go downhill with her health. She was falling apart on the inside, rather than the outside. She heard a static on the radio, followed by Alexander's voice. "_Angel, we're back._"

She smirked. She would have fun with him.

The corridor seemed endlessly long and it seemed like it took her forever to find him. Riku passed her by giving her a curious look, to which she glared, not bothering with words. She closed her eyes halfway down the hall, once she passed him, focusing hard on what she was probably going to do. The lack of focus could be the death of her, and death was currently the anti-objective.

"Angel?"

She recognized his voice in the next room. Collecting herself again, she straightened up and began to saunter into the room. "Hey, Alexander," she said passively. "How'd the mission go?"

He smiled. "Good. I have an idea of how many guards there are," He stated calmly.

With a nod, she spoke. "I have a few ideas myself. However, the use of spies, though it has crossed my mind, is not something I'd enjoy doing."

"I don't blame you," He said cooly. If she didn't kill him for what he had done, she'd have to remember to commend him for his courage when up against someone as scary as she knew she could be.

"You know, I heard that Riku's been having communication with Voltaire. Tala told me-"

"Really?" His incredulous face and wild eyes gave it away. His mouth was wide, but there was a trace of a victorious smile, and his eyes were wild enough to validate his actions.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Now Alexander, why would you ever bear such emotion before me? You know I can read people's faces."

He stared.

"Did you not think that Riku changes the stations on the communicators? It's common knowledge that we have to check all the channels on the communicators."

"Wait, you caught him?"

She smirked. "Baby, weren't you listening?" Her nose scrunched up and her eyes hardened severly. "I caught you."

Apparently the boy's first line of defense was a swift kick to her the side.

xxxxxxxxxx

Tala and Tyson walked calmly down the corridor. Sure, they weren't friends like Tala and Kai or Tyson and Kai were, however, they were close enough to provide company for the other. And also close enough to share the few fragments Kai would reveal about his sister, who was practically Tala's girlfriend and Tyson's sister, thanks to his near brotherhood with his captain.

"...check all the channels on the communicators."

The redhead's blue eyes flickered in curiousity. Tyson shrugged in response to his silent question of what was going on, and the two stood outside the door to the typically unused room, which was dimly lit and had walls of iron and steel.

"Wait, you caught him?"

Tyson whispered, "Caught who?" in Tala's direction. Now Tala shrugged and both leaned toward the door.

"...you listening?" There was a slight pause in which both mouthed 'Angel' to the other. "I caught you."

Silence, with the exception of the sounds of a fight were heard, but Tala stopped Tyson, ensuring the blunette that Angel could take care of things herself, though he had no idea what was going on.

Meanwhile, inside the room, no one spoke. Angel, however much she knew she'd bear a large bruise, for a long period of time, struck back before hitting the floor, moving quicker than both she- and Alexander- had anticipated. With a quick roundhouse kick she was surprised to complete, she got him to the floor.

He smirked maliciously above her, and that only pissed her off.

"So," she said casually, well aware that one of her previous and unmentioned punches had broken his nose as it was bleeding and there was the beginnings of a black eye forming on both of his own, "What does _he _know?"

"You think I'll-" Angel kicked him swiftly in the side.

"Yes," She responded, to his 'oof,' "I think you will."

He licked the blood off his lips. "He knows about you," He said darkly. "And so do I."

"Yes, but that has never stopped me before, now has it."

"You're running out of time, Angel. Before you know it, we'll get sick of this and kill all of our captives. Then what will you do?" He paused. "Or will you be d-"

She kicked him again, a few times over.

"Oh," He said, realizing he had hit a weak spot. "You know it, don't you? You know that you're d-"

She kicked him again so fiercely that he actually hit the wall.

At this point, he used the wall to prop himself up, and slam himself down on top of her, smiling sadistically. "What do you weigh, ninety pounds?" He whispered this so quietly in her ear that she thought it was a tendril of thought for a second, before trying to get his weight off of her own. It was no use, as she knew that she was pretty weak.

Outside the room, Tala looked desperately concerned. Tyson had pretty much figured that they'd have the element of surprise. "We have to go in there," Tyson told him. "God only knows what's going on."

Tala nodded unsurely. "But it's her-"

"I don't really think that it's a good idea to let them fight until someone dies," Tyson interrupted.

"When did you get so smart?"

"Dunno. It's a rare occurrance." He flashed a charming smile at Tala like he was one of the blunette's fans, before Tala punched him in the arm as a warning to stop being to cocky.

Tala held the door, looking to Tyson and mouthing 'one, two...'

Tyson waited for no 'three' to be mouthed as they shoved the door open hazzardously. It slammed against the wall and then back on it's hinges as if it was a pendelum. There before them was a sloppy and slightly frightening sight. Alexander was on top of angel, holding down her wrists with his hands and her feet with his own, smirking over her like a vicious bastard.

Meanwhile, Alexander looked to angel. "I bet they don't know," He said cruelly.

She allowed no fear to cross her face though it was running through her mind. Instead she laughed. "I bet it doesn't really matter because by the looks of it, you couldn't handle a two-on-one against two world champs."

"Really?"

Before Angel could respond, Tala had knocked Alexander off of her, going to fight whilst she wiped his blood off of her. She also noted the scratch on her back that was bleeding profusely. She cursed the bastard in Russian and used one of the beams reaching from the floor to the ceiling to pull herself up. She felt weak, but that would have to wait. Instead of wrapping her arms around the beam, she leaned back against it, gritting her teeth at the pain from the wound on her back.

Tala and Tyson easily overcame the younger boy, who was quickly knocked out and thrown outside, as this room was currently on the first floor. Tyson immediately used the communicators to inform Kai and the others that Alexander was a spy and that he was not to be trusted. It was after this that they looked to Angel for some answers.

Tala was first. "What happened?"

"I thought you were good at fighting," Tyson said, curiously.

Angel closed her eyes and tried to stand without leaning on the beam, before Tyson reached out to catch her. He grabbed her around the waist, and she winced, clearly.

"He kicked you, didn't he?" Tyson asked.

She nodded. "Got my back good too."

"We heard just about everything."

She sighed. "And what did you get from it?" She asked, her head now leaning on Tyson's shoulder.

"What's going on? We don't know, although, Alexander seemed to know something we didn't."

"Voltaire knows something you don't," She said quietly. "But I'll tell you." She broke out of Tyson's grasp and turned her back to them, pulling up the back of her shirt. It was already ripped where the newest scratch was, but beneath it, was another, recent mark that had yet to heal.

"That was from weeks ago-" Tala stopped himself right there.

Tyson looked clueless, but Tala immediately pulled her into his arms for a hug. That surprised Tyson even more. When Tala let go, she looked at Tyson, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I was in remission for the better part of four years." He nodded then looked at her with shock, linking remission with cancer.

"We'll let you get che-"

"_No_." She paused to gather herself for a moment. "I didn't tell anyone because if I did, they'd send me off to go get _that_. We have bigger things to deal with. I have medicines, they're prolonging it as much as possible."

"You aren't-"

"I swore on my life that I would never use morphine, and I never will."

Tala nodded, and looked at her. "I suppose that since you survived for almost two years in the abbey that you can live through it now-"

"WHAT?" Tyson's eyes were huge. "You mean to tell me that you- and you knew?"

Angel smiled sweetly. "Tyson, he didn't know until he found me a few years back. I was in the beginnings of remission then, and he found out. Now you know, and you _can't_ tell. Kai would kill himself if he knew."

"Mina never-"

"Of course she never had cancer," Tala finished for him. "Angel said-"

"I said," she interrupted, "That she should be given the chance to live. If died among my friends, I'd be happy. If she had a chance to live, I'd be happier. We made the switch and that was that. How we got away with it, I still have no idea."

Tala nodded and got up underneath her arm, to help her walk. She smirked as he thought about it for a moment and then picked her up. "How much weight did you lose?"

"I weigh around ninety-five," she clarified for him.

"Kilograms?" Tyson asked.

She laughed. "Pounds, dipshit."

"God, Angel," he said quietly. "This is bad."

"I've been living like this for a while."

"That time you were sick-"

"Yeah. Fun wasn't it? Spencer gave me my meds, but I made him throw out the morphine. Alexander must've found it in the garbage or something. I knew Voltaire knew about me, because Boris knew."

"That's why he thought you were dead," Tyson pieced together. She nodded.

"That's why. And it's only a matter of time, I'm sure, until they use it against you," Tala said, getting her onto his back.

She closed her eyes as her ride began back to her quarters. "Tala," she said quietly, "I need you to do something for me."

xxxxxxxxxx

She noted Tyson's unease, and Tala's solemnity. She was grateful for their support and their silence. But then again, who wished to speak of what she had asked.

"You sure about this?" Tyson asked, frightful.

"Yeah," She responded tilting her head over her shoulder. "It won't stop bleeding, but this should work. I've done it before."

Tala stared at her, point blank. "That's how no one found out. You did this."

She nodded "Tala, you've got to just do it, okay. Don't worry about me, I'm used to it."

Tyson looked at her, about to re-ask his previous question. She smiled at him, as a bit of reassurance, her lips plump and dark against her pale face.

"Do you want to lay down or stand?" Tala asked, examining the knife that he had layed in hot ashes before them.

She looked at Tala before becoming silent. "Stand." Tyson cringed, and Angel extended a hand to him. "Tyson, could I ask a favor?"

He nodded and came toward her. She grabbed his hands, and held them. "What-"

"Just tell me if I'm squeezing too tight."

xxxxxxxxxx

**Author's notes: **Holy crap! I finally finished that chapter. I'm getting close to the climax, and then after that, you'll be shocked and astonished and all that jazz, but then I'll end up bringing it all full circle. Perhaps even a sequel, but who knows. Anyway, if you didn't know that Angel has cancer, you do now.

And as for that last part, I don't know if you know what she asked Tala to do, but if you want to know(I tried to make it obvious), drop me a line and I'll inform you.

So, review, and I'll try to update as soon as possible.

x3 Distant Storm


	10. The Rising

Disclaimer: Still don't own Beyblade... isn't that nice to know...

Author's Notes: Okay, so I'm going to try and pick this up, and at least finish it. I know there's one person reading this, at least... no one else has let me know, but that's alright. I don't mind the writing.

OH, and by the way. Someone will die. You've been warned.

xxxxxxxxxx

Chapter Ten- The Rising

xxxxxxxxxx

Tyson stared at the small crescent shaped marks in his hand for the upteenth time. She had cursed herself for taking out her pain upon him, something he told her not to worry about. He wasn't _that_ stupid; he knew she was in a world of pain all her own. And at all costs, she had made him swear, on his life, not to tell Kai. That would break him. And let him put together the final piece of the puzzle. Apparently Angel wanted to have something on him after all.

Leaning back in his bed, he glanced over at Ray, who looked at him curiously. The white tiger was obviously having trouble sleeping as well. Max and Daichi were snoozing to his left, and Kenny- and Dizzi, lest we all forget- were across from him, both sleeping peacefully. Kai was awake as well, his eyes taking in every detail of the group.

"Get some sleep, you two," Kai's voice called out, in a no-nonsense tone.

"If you're waiting for us, dude," Ray said, "Don't bother. Get some sleep."

"I don't want to wake up with green hair."

Tyson snickered. "Nah, man, Zeo's the only dude who could do green." Silence overcame them again, and for the longest while, it was silent. The door inched open about six inches, only to stop. A small pool of light spread across the floor, and Tala's head peeked in upon them.

"Tyson, is Kai asleep?"

There was no 'hn,' and Tyson got up, walking over to their captain's bed, only to find him out cold. "Yeah," the blunette whispered, once he was closer to the door, than to Kai. Ray gave Kai a glare, and seemed to believe the same. The captain had finally fallen asleep.

"Okay. You and whoever else's up want to practice?"

"It's like two am," Ray said, without access to a clock, "Why the hell not?"

"We're in serious need of a re-match," a second voice said.

"Bryan."

"Alright," Tyson said, grabbing his beyblade and launcher. "Count us in."

Within thirty seconds, Tyson and Ray were out the door silently, waiting for a moment to make sure Kai wasn't secretly awake and avoiding them. They heard no movement and shut the door.

Tala gave Tyson a slightly frightful look, one that was detected by Ray, who said nothing. Bryan and Ian stood beside Ray, watching the tiger padding silently down the hall, as if it was an indication of Drigger's movements as well.

"What's going on?" Tyson asked quietly.

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

"She sick again?" Ray asked, looking in their direction.

The redhead glared. "Yes, if you must know. Getting rid of Alexander was hard on her." Tyson bit his lip, not knowing which side to go on. He couldn't betray Angel, but he also had to defend his team mate and best friend.

"I'm fine," A voice called enchantingly. All heads turned up to the balcony, where Angel rested against it. "And don't give me that mother-hen bull, either of you," She said, with a mischevious look to both Ray and Tala, whom blushed. "I'll go to bed when I'm good and ready. It's a starry night. I live for them." She walked down the stairs peacefully, looking to them with a fleeting look of suspicion. "What're you doing up this late?"

"Training." All of them answered in sync.

Angel smiled and ran a hand through her hair. "It's nice to see the two best team's members getting along. It will be even better when the B.B.A.'s back up and running." She kept her even pace, looking up toward the corridor before her as she walked. "Any of you know if Kai's still- nevermind."

"He was asleep when I went to get-"

"Hn."

A smile was stratigically placed upon Angel's face. "Guess he fooled you," she said, walking over to him. "I was hoping to talk to you, and since you're still up-"

"The roof," he said, and she nodded. He figured, judging by what she had previously said. She wanted to see the stars. Why she wanted to talk to him though, he had no idea.

Tyson smirked. "There goes our future couple."

There was a bit of laughter. "You think?" Ray said. "I think Angel's too stubborn, but I guess we'll see."

Bryan nodded. "They're both underdogs, though."

"True, true."

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For not feeling too great before, the cool night air felt good on her pale skin. "Not too many quiet nights like these," she said quietly.

He nodded. "What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

She laughed. "Typical you. Always cutting to the chase. No small talk whatsoever." She fell silent for a moment before she looked at him again, words seeming to form on her lips, but somehow, they weren't spoken. Without so much as a word, she gazed upward again, taking in the stars. "I was going to ask you something, but it seems insignificant now."

"What?" He asked, wishing to know the content of her question.

The wind flitted about them, stirring her hair and his scarf. "How long do you think this will last- I mean, how long until this all ends?"

"How soon do you want to make it?"

"I can't wait much longer." She traced the frail pattern of her most recent bang-up, a bruise from Alexander's fight that was not going away, though she had tried everything, resorting to make-up in increasingly closer to her skin tone, going by incraments each day, as to make it look as though she was healing. In all reality, Tyson and Tala had taken to caring for her behind closed doors, from which she emerged for small periods of time.

"You've been on edge lately; hiding in your office and whatever."

She nodded. "I've been off lately, and I don't want to drag this out anymore. I'm tired," she added quietly.

"Then you should go to bed."

"I didn't mean it like that." Actually, she knew he could take it a few other ways, and prayed he did not lead her down the worst case scenario one. She wondered, if for the moment, that was what she meant- _truly_- when she said it.

Kai shifted and dangled his legs over the edge. Angel sat down beside him and felt an arm pull her in closer to him. This one was new, she realized. Kai wasn't an initiator of affection, and whatever started him now was probably somekind of emotional insecurity, one of many he hid at any given time.

"This fighting is pointless," She said softly. "We just need to get Mina and the others out, and go back in and blow the rest of them up."

"That would be pointless. You know he pushes people into things. How many brainwashed, bribed minions does he have in there?"

"You're the biggest minion of all."

Kai's arm dropped from her shoulders, and he looked at her in slight anger. "Excuse me?"

"So much of this went on right from underneath you, and you thought all was well. You didn't even detect just a little bit of strangeness when Mina appeared, from out of the blue? Or if you did, you didn't look into it? This isn't about me, I'm just looking out for the kids who shouldn't have to go through what we went through."

The look in his eyes was wild, indescribible. She searched his eyes with sympathetic ones of her own, though her remorse was limited. "You really know how to make someone feel good," he commented, haggardly.

She sighed. "It's hard on all of us, they play to our emotions, like it, lump it, or deny it. You're strong at hiding your emotions, but people can see through. And of those select few that could, Boris saw you like an open book, playing to your emotions, or at least the ones you showed."

"Like with Mina."

"Exactly."

Kai looked up for a moment. "How did she do that?"

No hesitation was noted as she lied. "I don't know."

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Within ten days, orders were given. There was to be no more delay.

Tyson and Tala seemed a bit unsure of the entire ordeal, being the informed ones in the matter. Angel seemed fine, to those on the outside, at least. Kai gave her an unsure once over.

"How do we know what we're up against?"

"Riku does his jobs well," Angel responded to his question. "He told me that we should be okay, going against them. I'll trust his oppinion."

Kai nodded, 'hn'ed, and went on his way. He would be toward the back, with Angel and his team mates, as they would be the ones to deal with Voltaire and Boris personally.

The next hour was spent in silence, as they would be leaving shortly. The battles would be nearly over, leaving smoldering debris and broken beyblades, wins and losses for both sides. Angel wouldn't be using her beyblade in this fight, as an attempt the week before had been disasterous. She was dying. And there was nothing she could do without abandoning them. The pills had stopped working a week before, at least, that was when she noticed it, and she knew damn well she couldn't fight forever. The deterioration in her health struck her suddenly, however she knew it was to be expected. The second time was always harder than the first. That was why, when she left her office, she had left something behind for them.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Ray said, sauntering away with both Max and Kai on his heels. They would lead a few smaller groups of bladers, then fall back with the self-proclaimed 'big-wigs' of the group.

Once they were alone, Angel lowered herself into her plush leather chair and relaxed in it. She was exhausted. Tala looked over at her, concern flooding his features. "You shouldn't be out there at all. You should be getting help."

"They're going to use me against Kai, and if I'm there in person we stand a better chance."

"And why is that?" Tyson asked, angrily. "They'll just kill you."

She rolled her eyes. "Why the hell would they kill me if I'm dying?" She paused, taking a shaky sip of water. "They like to draw things out, not end them quickly."

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Mina rolled her eyes. Well, she figured, at least the past- well however long it was that she was stuck here, she had lost some weight, not that it ever was an issue. She was always fed well, however when she failed to contribute an answer, she was slapped around. Her grandfather's henchmen must've figured out some secret training program, because they got really strong really quickly.

"Of all the days to choose, I suppose things got to be a little too much for them."

She listened in carefully. After hearing that Alexander had been caught, the dirty spying bastard that he was, she knew it was only a matter of days before she was to be retreived. She just hoped that the rest of the group that was captured was alright. She heard yelling from the floor below and realized that it was indeed her fellow team mates, if you wanted to call them that. Either way, they were on the same side, and they were released. They'd never get to the top floor alive, Voltaire had warned them of that, and he had offered negotiation.

She prayed that they wouldn't trade her for Kai. Angel wouldn't know what to do. She was, unfortunately, the leader. Kai, if he was the leader, which sometimes she wished he was, he would know exactly how to save both of them, or at least how to save her with as little damage to himself as possible. Angel was unpredictable. Not too many people knew about her previous issues. They would easily become her weakness if she wasn't careful.

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Tala looked at Angel, every few seconds. Mind you, he hand never dealt with her at any point in time when he _knew_ she had cancer. When she was in in remission, yes, he had seen that. He had absolutely no idea what was too protective, what was too careless... His mother-hen nature was shining through magnificently, and he knew she didn't want all of it displayed publicly.

"You have to tell us if this is too much for you," Tyson said. Riku looked at him, bewildered, but let it roll of him as a joke said to Angel.

She nodded, her small body braced at all times, as if to keep from shaking like a maraca. "I think that we should take a left at this next door," She said. "My guess."

The attack on the B.B.A.'s ex-headquarters was a success as of late. A few hours ago, they had gotten up to the board room, and thrown around some BioVolt big-wig beybladers who stood no chance. Right now, she was with Tala, Tyson, Enrique, Johnny, Riku, and Robert. The rest of the gang was dealing with small problems. Once Boris was found, their own 'big-wig' beybladers would join up somewhere.

When they opened the door, Angel was surprised to see what she saw. The training room was huge. She'd never been in any training physility like the ones the B.B.A. offered in it's main headquarters. This room was nearly identical to an arena, being a replica of the actual one a few blocks away. It was perhaps a thousand seats smaller, but it was enormous to someone like Angel or Riku, both of whom had never been given the opportunity to compete in large tournaments.

"Holy shit," Riku said, incredulous at the sight before him. Angel nodded. "This is freakin' huge," The boy continued.

Tyson smirked. "One of these days, you'll be battling in the real thing. It's a lot bigger and a lot more exciting. Trust me."

"This place is awesome, though," Angel said. "I would've loved to battle in a place like this." Tala and Tyson looked guilty, though a hidden nudge from the young woman told them not to feel bad.

Tyson reminisced. "This is the place where I first beat Kai all those years ago. Don't tell anyone, but I slammed his ass back in the days when we still had cage matches without the fear of someone getting killed." Angel laughed, along with Johnny and Enrique.

Robert looked around. "Ah yes, I remember seeing that beautiful match on the television back in England," He placed a hand on his hip. "It was quite the upset. We didn't think that some novice out of Japan of all places would've ended up the champion."

There was laughter, to which Tyson growled, "Hey! I could beat your ass now!"

Tala threw his arm out between Tyson and Robert, more for Tyson than for the knight. "Let's save the rematches for after all this." Tyson was given a reprimanding glare, to which he growled, but backed down.

It was strange though, a dimly lit light shone through in the furthest back part of the room. Angel squinted, feeling a little dizzy after, but lucky enough for her, the wall behind her supported her weight while making her look casual. However, she couldn't do this for long, because during her squinting, she made out two figures. They had yet to see her group coming, but she knew that there would be an ambush waiting, even before Mina was brought out by Boris.

"Call Kai and the others," Angel said sharply. "Boris and Mina are up on that platform."

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Boris clicked his tongue against the top of his mouth, waiting patiently for the group that was obviously behind this attack. He had plans this time. More emotional at first, but with a physical reality that none of them could ignore. The man laughed in his usual, maniacal manor.

Mina smirked. "Don't think you've got us beat just yet. You don't know what Angel's got up her sleeve."

The Russian tormentor grinned evilly. "I know exactly what she's got up her sleeve. A list of untold secrets, and some horrific truths that have gone unsaid."

"You won't kill her," The young Hiwatari said defensively. "You can't."

He had known that he had no intention to kill the woman from the start. "Oh no," Boris said finally, "I won't kill her." Silence came over them for the longest time, the barely lit room housing a series of eight high-powered beybladers. "But the cancer will," He finished, too quietly for her to hear. That small scrap of information was of more imortance- not to mention hard hitting- and would be divuldged in front of the group at a point later in time.

The slam and crash of the locked door on the far side of the room alerted Boris, his henchmen, and Mina that her rescuers had arrived. They all piled into the room, leaving the Blitzkrieg Boys, Bladebreakers and Majestics to take on the awaiting henchmen. As fast as those battles had commenced, the combination of power on the side of good was far too much for the henchmen, just as Boris had predicted.

Yep, Boris predicted that he would lose. But he still had Mina, and she was all he needed.

"Well, well, well, I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised to see you all here," The madman stated casually, as if he were a guest welcoming visitors into his home. None of the group were interested in pleasantries.

"Give me back my sister," Kai demanded, his rage and anger written across his face with such hatred that it scared the younger Hiwatari. In the course of her life, if she knew one thing about his brother, when he was angry, he stepped into bad situations.

Mina's eyes locked with Angel's. Had the older girl lost weight? From her point of view, the amethyst-eyed girl believed it to be so. Honestly, Angel didn't look well. Probably fatigue. Tala had an arm against her protectively, as well as Tyson. While it made Mina a tad jealous, she knew that Angel and Tala were nothing more than brother and sister.

Boris pressed a button on a remote that he pulled from his pocket, allowing the cage that had once contained Mina to collapse, leaving her out in the open. The girl tried to run for it, but should've known better, as one of the henchmen from before seemed to materialize from behind her, grabbing her by the throat, and putting her in a good position for a headlock. She felt pressure against her temple- and it was definitely metal, so she decided to hold off on the escape attempts.

"Now, now," The older man said, waving his finger in a way associated with an annoyed school teacher, "If you jump the gun-" He looked to the henchman holding Mina, "Petar here will pull the trigger."

Kai straightened up from the fighting stance he had taken on. Tyson left Angel's side and had gone up closer to Boris, standing next to Kai, and close to the rest of his team. Near them were the Blitzkrieg Boys, leading a group of The Rising's most powerful bladers. They all straightened as well, their grip on their launchers still remaining the same. At any sign of trouble, there would be about thirty beyblades launched. Simultaneously, mind you.

Riku looked to Angel, while Tala kept his arm around her waist as extra support. She got tired quickly these days, though she'd never let anyone show it. "You never should've came here," Tala whispered quietly.

"I had to," She whispered back, "And you know it."

When the two focused on Boris, he was walking slowly through the ranks of beybladers, toward them. However, he stopped before Kai, giving the boy a devious smirk that all wished would be slapped off his face. Kai met his beady-eyed glare, scrutinizing the hell-bound man's eyes.

"I'm not sure," Balkov began, "Who to have say it. Your sister, or Miss Asmerov." A tantalizing smile came across his lips. "It's quite the decision, but I think I will reserve it for your sister."

"Don't you dare hurt her," Kai said angrily.

Boris turned and began his walk back up the stairs leading to the top of the platform. "Oh, it'll hurt you more than it'll hurt you. Nothing physical though, I promise." The burgandy-haired man sauntered to Petar, who held Mina tightly. Boris pulled out a gun, smirking as Petar fired his at the ceiling. The group cringed at the noise, but no damage was made.

"That asshole!" Tala growled. "That gun wasn't even loaded!"

"That one is," Angel said, as Boris now held the girl firmly around the waist. She looked around, trying to decide if there was an angle from which to catch the man off guard and get Mina out of his grasp. So far, she saw no openings that she could reach, much less Tala. Her beyblade and launcher were still attached to her belt, though she would be of no use with it. If she appeared without her blade, they would obviously know something was up.

Mina looked out at the group. She could practically see the gears grinding in Angel's head. Unfortunately Mina saw no opening either. Though together, the duo had probably concluded that this was the moment of truth.

Which it was, of course, but Boris, surprisingly, knew more than thought.

"I'll make you all a deal."

"Not interested," Bryan said. Boris' deals were lies. Any type of reasoning used with him was always and forever a lie.

Boris laughed heartily, pressing the gun against Mina's temple gently. She could feel the cold metal against her. "No, you might want to hear this." He stopped. "Well, since I'm the one holding the gun, I believe you will listen to this." Mina braced herself for the words she knew she would hear.

"Miss Asmerov has a secret she has neglected to tell you all." He looked directly at Kai, who looked to Angel, whose glare was hard. She was handling rather well, considering. although, she had handled rather well the last time as well. He wouldn't have known if it wasn't for those meddling doctors he had to fire- er, kill. Boris' lips played into a brilliant smile. "I'm sure some of you know it," He looked at Tala, "but for those of you who don't, I'm sure Miss Hiwatari here would love to inform you."

Mina gulped, looking at Angel, who nodded to her, a delicate smile gracing her pale face. If Angel was okay with it, so would Mina. Boris continued. "You see, all of you were told that Mina had once had cancer, after all, that is why she was kicked out of the Abbey almost a decade ago. But what you didn't understand, is why she was alive, after all this time, without even an ounce of remorse for the pain she has put you all through." Mina closed her eyes, feeling them flutter.

She had felt remorse. Every day of her life, she knew it would eventually lead up to this. "Anyway, Mina, your brother and his friends made an astounding discovery. The BioVolt Mainframe had your files messed up. You had traded with someone the day you were dismissed, didn't you? Afterall, the doctors never knew the difference between the children at the Abbey, did they? No. Answer this: did someone else tell those doctors they were you?"

Mina nodded. "Yes," she said, her voice as strong as she could muster. "I did."

Kai looked as though he had been punched in the stomach. That was how she had cheated death? She lied? Why would she do that? She could've told them- no, he remrimanded himself. It would've been too risky. Someone could've found out.

"Now, I'm sure you all are wondering just who would do something so heroic, aren't you?"

Mina growled. She prayed that they'd put it together, but no, they were too clouded by anger. Any outburst by her would probably get herself killed, so she couldn't risk that either. She watched as the group nodded, all at different times. All except Angel, who was quietly weaving her way to the front of the group, Tala in tow.

"Well, Mina, why don't you tell them?" He forced a little more pressure on her temple. "Tell them who really had cancer-"

"A-"

Boris moved the hand around her waist so that it covered her mouth. The smile she was given was horrific. He continued. "Tell them who really had cancer..." He paused for dramatic effect, now that Mina wouldn't interrupt, "and still does."

Well there went everything. Mina broke out into tears, which made the Russian man backhand her with the gun, causing her to fall to the floor. "I suggest you answer them," He reminded her, as she stood up, her amethyst eyes accentuated by uncommon tears. "They're waiting," He said, tapping his foot impatiently.

Angel closed her eyes and stepped to the front of group, leaving Tala beside Tyson and Kai. "It's alright," Angel cooed, like a mother talking to her child. "You can tell them."

Boris turned the gun from Mina to Angel. "Don't think I won't kill you either!" He boomed. Angel smirked as Mina took off at a sprint, silently getting away from her captor, who was too concerned with the smile that blossomed on the raven haired girl's face as she tucked a red streaked strand of hair behind her ears.

The Russian female laughed. Laughed aloud. Angel thought this was funny, did she? Boris realized his mistake, firing the gun so that the bullet hit the step Mina was about to hit, causing her to freeze. She didn't stop though, praying that Boris had only one bullet on him.

"I'm dying Boris," Angel said, holding her arms out. Mina quickly rushed to her brother, hugging him tightly. She knew that she was crying, and judging by his shaking, so was he. It seemed impossible, didn't it. "If you were to shoot me now, you'd be doing me a favor." Kai's eyes widened. "Go ahead Mina, tell them."

Mina stared at Angel. Had she lost her mind? "A-Angel," She said, the one word having the utmost difficulty leaving her mouth. Mina couldn't honestly believe it. Angel had cancer? Again?

Boris smirked. "Your 'Maffia' seems shocked, so tell me, how much do you weigh now? Ninety pounds?" He twirled the gun in his hands, letting it rest so that the end firing the bullet would blow her head right off. "You've lied to all of them. According to my information-" The name Alexander flickered through the heads of all those informed, mainly Tyson and Tala, the only two not too surprised by any of this, "Your time on this Earth was to be expired a month ago."

Tyson and Tala stared at her. "How did you-"

Angel nodded, looking at her appauled team mates. She looked at Kai the longest, her eyes pleading him to meet them. She saw the tear stains he had tried desperately to hide. "Why didn't you tell us?" He asked, and she closed her eyes, then opened them quickly.

"Because I knew I was needed here." She looked at Boris. "You've never accounted, in your life, for miracles. In the lives like those of the people standing behind me, they see miracles all the time. Me? I'm a miracle. I have no idea how the hell I'm standing, but I do know one thing: I will fight you until they put me in the ground."

The bladers around her watched as she raised her right arm, as if a battle cry were about to be made. Around them, she saw the henchmen. There seemed to be hundreds of them. She smirked victoriously. "Meet The Rising, Balkov. The light will always conquer the dark."

"That's what you think," Boris said, nodding his head to send out an order. "Get her."

With henchmen surrounding them, the group knew they had one option left. "Let it rip!"

Commencing now, was the battle of the ages. All others given that title were quickly forgotten, as it seemed to be a thousand against fifty. The group fighting on the side of good stood in a circle, promising only to move out. No one would be admitted into their circle. The battle was difficult, and one by one, bladers began to fall. These henchmen had been trained to beyblade; All of them used cyber bit beasts, of the likes of which none of them had ever seen. Those creatures didn't feel, but the Rising sure felt it.

Meanwhile, a group of henchmen especially designed to catch the leader of the operation- it wasn't hard, she thought , after all, she had lost like thirty pounds. They brought her to Boris, releasing her as one of them handed him a new gun, in exchange for his own.

"You didn't think I was going to kill you," He said, his voice coming to her above the loudness of the battle. "You were wrong," he said, raising the gun level with her heart. "I'll see you in Hell," he said, as he pulled the trigger. Angel's mind froze, but quickly resorted back to action. She moved quickly, crying out in pain as the bullet grazed her arm. Oh God, she thought, she would die from that. She'd never stop bleeding.

The group fighting had heard the gunshot, but there was nothing they could do, for the events happening beyond the circle of henchmen were clouded by the oversized bit beasts.

Closing her eyes, she felt icy tears pool up as she began to shake. She then opened them, glaring at Boris with the most piercing jade eyes he would ever see. She held up her beyblade, extending it so that the Russian man could see the bit chip glow red, as the light came rushing toward him, in the form of a phoenix. Angel screamed it's name, beckoning it to take form. "TAIYDRA!"

Never before had any of them ever seen such a spectacle. Out of nowhere came a black phoenix. Their first instincts told them it was Black Dranzer- but they saw the crown of red and realized whose bit beast it was. They had seen it only a few times, however, it was definitely Angel's bit beast. They hadn't heard her yell, however.

It streaked in a large circle, obliterating the opposing cyber bit beasts. The last thing the accumulated members of The Rising remembered before all went black was a pair of crying jade eyes.

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_Please Review._


	11. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own beyblade.

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EPILOGUE

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It had been six months since the B.B.A. had taken over what ruins were left of it's Japanese headquarters. Kai Hiwatari, his sister Mina, and her sister's boyfriend, Tala Ivanov, walked into the new building that stood in its place. It was smaller than the original, but modern and very stable, unlike the building that had nearly cumbled before.

Mr. Dickenson waited for them in his office, a neutral look upon his face as he dismissed the new congregation of board members from their fourth meeting since the B.B.A. was reinstated. A knock on the door, followed by the turning of the door knob alerted the chief-executive of the Beyblade Battle Assosciation that the people he wished to see had arrived.

"What's up?" Mina asked, her left hand linked with Tala's right. Since the... events that had happened, the group was trying desperately for a general state of normality to return to them. Some members of the group Mr. Dickenson now recognized as 'The Rising,' like Mina, had opted to stay in Bakunen. Others had chosen to help repair things and go home. Others, such as Riku, had disappeared from out thin air when they had awoke that day, stricken by grief, and unaware of just what to do.

The chairman thought for a moment. "We need to set up a support force to make sure _this_ never happens again."

The oldest Russian in the room, the eighteen-year-old Kai Hiwatari, nodded before the man's words left his mouth. As of late, he had been rather elusive and strung out on his private thoughts. Only Tyson, Tala, or Mina could truly get through to him, snapping him from his reverie. The grief that had overcome him was beginning to lift, but he was by no means the same person he had been a year ago.

The loss of Angel had definitely hit him the hardest.

When the beybladers who had been fighting Boris awoke, their enemies were all lying unconscious around them. They remembered- just barely, seeing Angel's bit beast fight off all of their enemies before they collapsed. They searched around the room, looking for any traces of the young woman, though she was nowhere on the ground level.

Eventually, the cops had come, a sense of order returning to the town. The searchers had finally abandoned hope that she was on the ground level in the room, leaving some- mainly Tyson, Tala, and Kai, who were feeling brave- to go up to the platform where Boris was. They hadn't been out for as long as they had thought, as the gun held in Boris' cold hand was still smoking.

Boris Balkov, however, was pronounced dead on the spot. Taiydra- Angel's bit beast, who was also missing- was believed to be the cause of that, but the cops said that his heart just stopped beating. The bladers, however solemn the loss of Angel was, whole-heartedly agreed that if Taiydra was heading straight for them, cardiac arrest would be the best thing that could happen to them.

They had then noticed the puddle of blood on the ground, as well as the beyblade that could've only been hers, shattered as if it were glass. The police had run tests on it, concluding that it was indeed Angel's, and it was from a gun wound, as explained by fragments in the blood, the bloody bullet in the wall behind them, and the literally smoking gun in Boris' icy hand.

None of them had wished to believe that Angel was shot, much less dead. However, there was no trace of her bit beast, or her body. The police opted to search for her, but Tala and Kai knew that wouldn't be needed. Bit beasts worked in strange ways, they had told the cops, and they would be better of to accept that she was dead.

Of course, with no body, there was no funeral. They were expected to pick themselves up and move on. The Blitzkrieg Boys refused to leave Bakuten until they were ready- if ever- and the Majestics had left grudgingly, to go pick up their home towns, promising to write and visit as soon as possible.

Over all, everyone had come closer together, lending a hand to rebuild the B.B.A., to support those hurt in BioVolt's last stand(hopefully). Voltaire Hiwatari had escaped that fateful day, only to be caught by a couple of beybladers from the Beysharks a week later. The once trouble-making bladers demanded to know just what the hell his issue was with ruining good people's lives. Ironic, huh? Voltaire had been brought in to court and pronounced guilty of conspiracy, assault, muders, and countless other charges. He would rot in his cell until he died, at which point in time he would die in hell.

"So?" Mr. Dickenson asked, interrupting their thoughts. "I know you will forever be _The Rising_, but could we make a slightly more authoritive B.B.A. version of that?"

Mina looked at Kai, Tala looked at Mina. The trio nodded. "Sure," Tala said, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. His wintery blue eyes opened a moment later, more determined and blazing than ever before. "Let's do it."

Within the next week, the group called 'The Rising' was gathered together in a room by Mr. Dickenson. Things were discussed, and aside from tournaments, the bladers in the room- plus two techs/advisors, would be the group called, should something go wrong. Everyone was happy with that; there were no hard feelings, and the fact that they had been through so much only brought them closer together. They _wanted_ to stand as one, something Stanley Dickenson had never seen before.

Prior to the adjourning of the meeting, Mina brought up another serious question. "Can we still call ourselves _The Rising_?" She asked, her feet danging over the side of the table she sat upon. Her boyfriend looked to Kai curiously. They all agreed without saying a word. It was his call.

Kai smiled. "I don't think she would've wanted it any other way."

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Meanwhile, a figure- stricken by grief, cold, and alone- stood before a mirror. The room they were in was dark, secluded, eclipsed by their emotion. Their eyes were shut, as if afraid to face the reality of it all.

The person spoke, trying to find the courage to say what they knew was true, no matter how much it hurt to relive it.

"Tomorrow's another day. The light will always conquer the dark." They repeated this to themself a few times, keeping their voice even, though their body trembled.

The steady voice dropped to a whisper, like the passing wind through the dark room. Hands went up to their head, tears welled in their eyes, as skin met skin. "The light will always conquer the dark," They continued.

Eyes opened, examining the reflection in the mirror. Some things changed. Others stayed the same. Life would go on.

"The Rising."

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What do you think? Sequel? Delete? Tell me, because this is the end, and I can't help you if you don't tell me.

Please review, and thanks for reading!

Distant Storm, signing off!


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